Possession
by Ah Hael
Summary: Hao is long gone and Lyserg has moved on with his life. A shaman of all people should know life doesn’t end at death. Yaoi HaoxLyserg
1. Chapter 1

Title: Possession

Author: Ah Hael

Genre: General, little angsty, eventual romance

Rating: M

Pairings: Hao x Lyserg, Yoh x Anna, Horo + Ren

Warnings: Violence (murder, abuse and rape)

Spoilers: Takes place a decade after series end

Summary: Hao is long gone and Lyserg has moved on with his life. A shaman of all people should know life doesn't end at death.

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I checked, definitely not mine.

Notes: I truly don't know what possessed me to write a Shaman King fic. I have enough trouble with the ones I already have unfinished. It's just foolishness on my part to start a new one.

Possession – Chapter 1

I don't know when I first noticed something was wrong. Not in time to do anything about it, that's for certain. At the time I had my mind on other things but I should have known better.

I had been studying hard to become an attorney and was occasionally working as a consultant with the police. My father's reputation had been passed down to me and I couldn't bring myself to say no whenever they called on me to aid them in solving a crime.

Indeed, my father's old cop-friend Benny who still came to check up on me weekly even though I'm an adult is still trying to talk me into becoming a cop.

Thank you, but no. The X-Laws were as close as I ever will be or ever want to be to that type of law enforcement. No I'd much rather fight my battles with evil in the courts thank you.

The first time I suspected anything was wrong was with a couple of murders.

I had finished my morning run and conveniently took the way that led me past a small family owned grocery store.

Okay so maybe it wasn't that convenient or coincidental at all. Mr. and Mrs. DeGuseppe who owned the store had a son Tony that could stop traffic with his looks. No matter what path I took for my morning run, I always found myself passing by their store on the last blocks to my home. Sometimes I would go in to get a juice or water but this morning I chose not to. Tony was setting up a fruit display so I didn't have to go in to catch a glimpse of him.

What? Yes I like men. And no, that wasn't an easy conclusion for me to come to. I cost me my friendship with Yoh and the others.

We all used to try and meet together for the summer and talk about what happened to us over the year. The first year was great. So was the second. By the time we were sixteen all the other guys were talking about cute girls they knew or dated. I couldn't think of anybody so I just said I still thought Tamao was cute and left it at that. When we were seventeen was when I first started to think Yoh was cute. Big mistake because by eighteen Anna had figured it out and I haven't been allowed to see him since.

I tried to date girls, but the whole experience just left me feeling flat. I even tried to date Jeanne, but it felt like I was out with my sister or something. I was in my second year at university when I accepted my first date with a guy.

Personally I still don't know why Anna felt threatened me enough to not let Yoh near me again. If anyone was a threat to her it would have been Tamao.

I wasn't kidding when I said she was cute. The sweetness that girl has on the inside has completely caught up on the outside. She's gorgeous enough that even I notice. All that scowling Anna's so fond of only makes her look like a bitter old hag.

Oh she wasn't open about keeping me away from Yoh. It was just that every time I tried to arrange some time to visit Yoh would be "busy" or "training". No one else had any trouble getting to see him, just me. It got to the point were none of my phone messages or mail got a response. It didn't take a PhD to figure out why.

But I digress. I was talking about murder.

I was within sight of my house when I noticed Benny waiting at my doorstep.

"Good morning Benny." I greeted walking past him to unlock and walk in my house leaving the door open for him to follow. "Would you like some tea? Coffee maybe?"

"Uh- no thanks kid." He was still behind me so I didn't catch his expression but I did catch the tone.

"Need my help with something?" I asked getting straight to the point. We were practically family so I wasn't going to waste both our times with too many courtesies.

"Well normally we wouldn't ask for your help right away but I thought you might be interested in this one."

Ugh. What kind of crime would interest me? "Why?"

He watched me for a few uncomfortable seconds as if rethinking his reason for coming then finally, "It reminds me of your parents' death." He answered getting to the point just as quick.

I gaped at him for a few moments. "How?" There was no way. Hao was dead and there was no other Shaman that powerful not even Yoh.

Benny fidgeted a little more before answering. "It was a fire again with no known cause. It just seemed to take over the whole house at once. The young couple inside it was like your parents doing those things I don't understand."

'Things I don't understand' was Benny's way of saying they were shamans. He never bothered to understand how my father and I did the things we did and he just called it those things he didn't understand.

"Impossible. The guy who killed my parents is dead. I was there when he died." I stated firmly. There was no way he could still be alive. I _felt_ him die as well a saw it.

"I know you already told me that kid, but I'm telling you I got the same weird feeling walking on the crime scene as I did that night. Maybe somebody is trying to take over that Hao guy's work."

I shook my head at him. "Impossible. The only one that comes close to Hao lives in Japan. Who was the victim anyway?" I asked. I knew some of the people in town who fancied themselves skilled in the occult. Occasionally, if the person had any real potential I'd guide them in the right direction. Most times they were just fools who read a book or two and thought they were experts.

When Benny told me I almost fell over in my chair. Macchi and Nichrome? I didn't even notice their presence in the city and now they were dead? I felt torn between surprise that they were here and revulsion that they were a couple. I guess even former minions of evil need love too. Gross.

Benny wasn't wrong about the feel of the place though. From the minute I stepped out of the car I felt on the alert. There was indeed a horrible sense of deja vu about the place. I could feel the residual power of a shaman battle.

Rubbing my hands up and down my sleeves to dispel the gooseflesh, I pulled out my crystal pendulum and tried dowsing for the cause of the fire.

The crystal swung around in a circle and kept swinging. It wouldn't stop in any direction.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Benny asked from behind me. "I never saw it do that before."

Neither had I. "Morphine?" I called asking to see if she could aid the dowsing. As soon as she entered the circling stopped dead with the pendulum pointing straight at the ground. So much for that thought.

Benny looked at me for an explanation. "I don't know. It's like whoever caused the fire is hiding themselves somehow." I think I managed to hide the cold lump of fear that was settling in my stomach. Hao could hide himself if he wanted to but I still refused to believe he was alive. Perhaps one of his little henchmen had delusions of rekindling the old days?

I gave Benny a few names of other beginner shamans in the city and the names of a few of Hao's old cronies that might be in the area. If someone was trying to follow in that pyro's footsteps they would most likely be looking for allies and that would be as good a place to start.

Whoever it was, I thought while looking over the damage one last time Macchi and Nichrome certainly didn't support them.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Possession

Author: Ah Hael

Genre: General, little angsty, eventual romance

Rating: M

Pairings: Hao x Lyserg, Yoh x Anna, Horo + Ren

Warnings: Violence (murder, abuse and rape)

Spoilers: Takes place a decade after series end

Summary: Hao is long gone and Lyserg has moved on with his life. A shaman of all people should know life doesn't end at death.

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I checked, definitely not mine.

Notes: I truly don't know what possessed me to write a Shaman King fic. I have enough trouble with the ones I already have unfinished. It's just foolishness on my part to start a new one.

Possession – Chapter 2

I tried to ignore the ill feeling that had stayed since looking at the scene of that fire but it lingered for days.

No matter how hard I delved into my studies I couldn't shake it and it kept growing stronger. I'd dream about the names on the list I gave Benny; about their deaths. I could see them taunting whoever was trying to coerce them. Saying that he or she wasn't Hao and they never would be only to die screaming.

When I saw Benny waiting on my doorstep a few days later I almost threw up. I knew what he was going to tell me.

The night before I'd dreamt of Kanna. She'd grown up just as I thought she would a frail, brittle, bitter woman. Maybe that was why she'd joined Hao to escape that future. Either way I remembered her surprise at seeing her visitor.

"_What? You think you're Hao now? You think you could even compare to his power?" she asked with a zealous glint in her eye. _

_Her guest said nothing. _

"_I once stood next to the most powerful being on this earth! I had his power running through me! Do you really think a runt like you compares?"_

_A gloved hand reached out and grasped her by the throat. "Look closer." they commanded in a voice I didn't recognize._

_She glared defiantly at them for a moment then her eyes started to widen. "Hao?" she asked tentatively._

_I couldn't see her attacker's face but I could see her reaction to them (him I guessed). _

"_Hao! I'm sorry I didn't know" her apologies were cut off by the sickening crunch of her neck being broken._

I had thrashed so badly that I'd fallen off the bed and woke up face down on my bedroom floor.

I looked at Benny waiting for him to tell me what I already knew.

"Five of the twelve names you gave me have all died under suspicious circumstances recently." He looked at me with that appraising look of his "But something tells me you already knew that."

"I've been having dreams Benny. About the names I gave you. I think Hao may have found a way to come back."

"How?" he asked then he thought about it. "Oh, right. One of those things again."

"I'm going to call that guy I mentioned in Japan and see if he has any advice." God I hope Yoh could clear this up.

Benny seemed to accept this at face value and left me staring at my telephone as if it were a coiled snake prepared to strike.

After a dozen or so tries of picking up and putting down the handset I finally picked it up and dialed the numbers that I'd never quite fully forgotten.

I heard someone pick up and a flat feminine "Moshi Moshi." Come through.

"Hello Anna." I greeted in my rather rusty Japanese.

"Who is this?" she sighed with impatience. Dammit why did it have to be Anna answering the phone? I sucked up my courage and answered her.

"It's Lyserg." Then I added "I need to talk to Yoh. It's important."

"Yoh's busy right now. I'll let him know you called."

"But it's important!" I yelled in to the phone but she'd already hung up on me. Damn her!

I proceeded to call Anna a few colorful names and tried to call back. This time I got the machine and stated the same thing I did before.

Damn that sourpuss bitch. Hao was coming back and she was guarding the one person who could stop him like a jealous lover. Although why anyone wanted that bitter old hag as a lover was beyond me.

What? I am not jealous of Anna! I may have been attracted to Yoh in the past, but that isn't important right now!

I spent the whole day on edge waiting for something to happen. Either Yoh to call or whoever was playing Hao to walk in and challenge me.

Morphine had picked up on my mood and stayed close to me in case I needed her. At one point I caught her looking at me with those sad eyes of hers and I felt bad.

"I'm sorry old friend. I guess I'm not very good company lately. Thanks for always staying by me. Come on, let's order in." I suggested noticing it was already dark out.

I almost fainted when Tony from the grocery store delivered my food. "Second job?" I tried to ask companionably.

He gave me a sheepish smile. Damn he was hot. "I'm just helping out a friend of my parents for a while."

"Oh. Well, thank you." I said taking the bag from him and paying him. I left a little bit larger tip than I normally would. I felt like an awkward teenager trying to talk to his first crush. Figuring that it would be better to quit before I made an idiot of myself I made to close the door but then he spoke up.

"So this is where you live. It's nice."

"Uh" drawing a blank. Think stupid! Say something! "Yes I inherited what was left of it when my parents died. It took a while to rebuild but I'm comfortable with it now."

He looked uncomfortable having brought up the topic of my parents. "Oh I'm sorry to hear about that." He stated with that auto response everyone has when they stumble upon the topic of family death.

I would have said something to reassure him but I felt a cold prickle between my shoulder blades. I had to get rid of him quickly.

"Well I better get going. Enjoy your dinner." He said he turning and leaving.

No sooner was the door closed then I dropped the food on the counter and ran into the living room.

I spun in a circle trying to see where he was. But saw nothing. "Hao! Where are you Hao! I know you're here! Show yourself!"

I waited for a few seconds until I heard a light sarcastic laugh that I would never forget.

"I don't know what you see in that man. He's nothing but a weak powerless human." Hao said snidely.

I didn't bother answering. Instead I took off searching the house for him pendulum at the ready.

"Every morning you prance in front of him like some ridiculous little schoolgirl hoping that he'll notice you." He taunted.

I grit my teeth ignoring the bastard. Cutting a person down and making them feel inferior was one of Hao's specialties. But I wasn't a child anymore. I refused to let him get to me.

I ran up the stairs and did a quick check of the rooms there trying to pinpoint the source of his voice.

"Would you really let something like that weakling touch you?" He asked.

There! My bedroom! I dashed in only to find it empty. I walked in to the middle and spun around again trying to see where he went. I turned and looked into a face I'd hope I'd never see again.

"Well I just can't allow that." He finished glaring at me with a face that looked just the same as it did the day he died. Worse, it was staring at me from where my reflection should be in the mirror.

"After all this body is now mine." My Hao reflection stated firmly.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for all of the reviews!

Dark Angel Nerissa – Well I certainly hope it will be great, but one can never tell. As it is, this story presents quite a challenge for me in trying to bring together two arch enemies. I always hate it when a writer completely skips over that part and just leaves it where all is hearts and flowers. That's the easy part. Getting them to like each other is the hard part. If the guy/guy starts to really bother you then don't read. I won't be offended. Stories are supposed to be entertaining. When it stops being fun, stop reading.

I suppose this answers mystery 93's concerns as well. As for Dark Angel of Hatred, Alice the Insomniac, ;D and Kaimei thank you again for the reviews.

**Possession – Chapter 3**

"Hao!" I hissed at him, I felt my stance change naturally in preparation of a fight. "Leave. _Now._" I ordered.

Reflection Hao raised his eyebrows at me in surprise. "My my, don't we feel brave. What happened? You think because I've been dead for almost a decade you can take me now? Is that it?"

"I'm not afraid of you Hao. Dead or alive." I stated firmly. He just laughed that annoying arrogant laugh of his at me.

"Liar." He said once he had his mirth under control.

"What are you doing here? How long have you been following me?" I demanded. Not that the answer mattered. I was going to get rid of him the first chance I got.

My reflection regarded me with a cool, flat stare. "Well I see you're still as dumb as ever. Funny, you'd think with all of the studying you do you'd be at least a little bit smarter." I just stared back at him refusing to rise to his bait.

Seeing that I wouldn't react to his juvenile name calling he rolled his eyes at me and then gave me a look of complete superiority. "Well isn't it obvious? I've been here the whole time." A cruel grin spread across his face as he added. "Inside you."

I tried not to let him see my surprise, but I knew I gasped in shock. Inside my head I was screaming in denial. Hao… He couldn't… he wouldn't… but no matter how much I tried to deny it, that… that… _thing_… was inside of me. Worse, now that I could see him, I could feel him also.

"How long?" I hissed between my teeth. He'd said the whole time, but that was still rather vague and I needed to know definitely.

"Since you and my traitorous brother and all of your traitorous little friends killed me." He snarled at me. I couldn't control my little bit of pleasure at seeing him off balance any better than I could my surprise at finding out he was inside me. It looked like he still had yet to get over that whole 'being dead' thing. Well good. He deserved it. The creep.

Wait. Did he say he'd been with me since then?

"Bullshit."

He shook his head admonishingly. "Tsk tsk, such language. Of course that's not the first time you've been so vulgar. Why, I still remember that time at Ren's home when you got so excited because Yoh was sleeping near you that you ended up-"

"Stop!" I yelled I didn't need to be reminded of that particularly embarrassing moment. Which is of course why Hao brought it up.

He grinned at me with a smile showing more teeth than humor. "You were so worried about the mess that you stayed awake the whole night so you could get up before everyone else and hide it."

Oh god, that meant my worst enemy had been with me through every awkward moment from my teens to now. Watching me through my own eye while probably having a great laugh at my expense. I was tempted to kill myself right then and there.

"Oh no, we can't have that now can we?" he said. Showing that he could clearly pick up my brief thought about suicide.

Oh that's right, my body. Hao mentioned something about it being his. "Never."

"Do you really think you can stop me? Remember that I am the greatest shaman that ever lived. I'll admit that dying did take something out of me and it's taken me this long to regain enough strength to start taking over your body. But soon I'll be strong enough to absorb you and take you over while you're awake. Once that's done I'm going to pay a little visit to all those annoying friends of yours."

His plan had a brilliant simplicity to it. Everyone thought Hao was dead, and no one would expect him to show up wearing my face. Even his own former followers didn't believe it and they'd died for it.

"Why me?" I asked. I know it was a stupid question, but it was all I could come up with. Again he rolled his eyes at me.

"Really Lyserg, I've been planning to become Shaman King for a thousand years. Of course I'm going to have contingency plans in case I fail." He stated as if I was being the densest person in the world.

"Actually," he continued almost companionably, "I hadn't planned on using you at first. Originally, I'd wanted to use that Tao first, but he proved to be difficult." He made a grimace and I knew he was talking about when Ren had refused to join him. Then almost as quickly as the expression appeared, it was replaced with the more familiar manipulative one.

"But then right at the last moment, you and that little runt pixie of yours surprised me by actually showing some real power and that's when I knew you'd be perfect."

I glared at him with all the hostility I could muster. "I guess you couldn't exactly use one of your little groupies. We all kept pretty close tabs on them for a few years after the tournament. We would have noticed if one of them was trying to keep your memory alive and we would have stopped them."

Hao waved that off as if he'd only expected something like that. "You see, in order to rebuild most of my spirit, I would need a shaman with not an inconsiderable amount of strength, who I had a bond with and who had somewhere in their own soul for me to conceal myself until I became stronger."

"You and I do not share a bond!" I yelled. A bond with Hao! Double blech.

"Don't we?" he speculated. "Didn't your obsessive hunt for me forge something between us? Didn't your feelings for Yoh and regret at forcing him to kill his own twin reinforce that bond?"

Gooseflesh rose up allover my skin like someone had walked over my grave. He was right. For weeks after the tournament I was stung with guilt every time I looked at Yoh. Hallmark doesn't exactly make an 'I'm-sorry-your-brother-was-a-complete-psycho-but-you-had-to-kill-him' card for the occasion.

Still I remained stubborn as to how he could stay in me all this time even though it was obvious he did. "No part of your spirit would be welcome by mine."

He laughed at my stubborn denial. "How naïve. Everyone has some dark spot in them they don't want to acknowledge, a spot where they hide their deep dark secrets from themselves. Ren would have been perfect because his dark side was constantly in battle with his gentler nature. But you… you hunted me down, rejected all of your friends, even kidnapping one of them for bait and rejecting your own spirit ally in your quest for your revenge. You call me murderer when you are just as guilty of the same sin as I, and still you think of yourself as a good person?" his grin became all the more malicious. "All that darkness made the perfect place to hide and grow stronger."

"Like a fungus." I retorted. It was a week comeback, but having my nemesis throw all of the things I never wanted to admit about myself in my face had thrown me off balance.

The Hao reflection took on a stance like a stern parent and started shaking his finger at me in a most annoying fashion. "I have no more need for you at the moment. You go eat your dinner young man. After all, you need to build up your strength." He disappeared leaving me staring at my regular reflection and hearing an echo of that taunting laugh of his.

"Arrrrghhh!" I screamed at myself in frustration.

At first I was tempted to ignore my dinner and thereby his command all together, but that would have been foolish. If I was going to beat Hao I really would need my strength and starving myself wouldn't accomplish anything more than speeding up the time he could take over my body.

Never Hao. I'll kill myself before I ever let you use me like that. Never.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for all of the reviews! I'm glad you like the concept of Lyserg being possessed by Hao.

**WARNING: The following chapter may be offensive to those who have strong religious views.**

Possession – Chapter 4

It was official. I was in hell.

The first thing I did after I ate dinner was shower. Not just an 'I'm dirty I need to be clean shower'. No, I had a 'stand under a fountain of scalding water until I almost poached myself alive kind of shower'. And I stayed in that shower until the water ran cold.

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror not caring that my skin was still lobster red from both the hot water and the scrubbing. I'd never felt so dirty in my life. Hao Asakura the greatest evil I'd ever known was inside me. The horror just kept reverberating through her head.

What was I going to do? I couldn't go to sleep, because Hao would take control of my body and kill again, but it wasn't as if I could stay awake forever.

"Morphine?" I called out not surprised to find her flying into my view almost instantly. I'd been feeling her distress almost as keenly as my own. I know most would look at my tiny friend and fail to realize how strong she really was but that would be their foolishness.

"Morphine, I need you to try and help me." Looking at the fierce determination on her diminutive face I only felt pride and reassurance that she would do everything in her power to help me. "I need to put you into the pendulum and tie me to the bed tonight. I can't let Hao out with my body, but I don't know how long I can hold spirit control. Is their anyway you can try to stay in the pendulum even after I go to sleep?"

At first she didn't react. Like she wasn't really sure of what I was asking of her, then she slumped her shoulders and shook her head sadly. I could tell she was disappointed she was unable to do as I asked.

"That's alright," I tried to reassure her "I didn't really think it would work either, I was just desperate." I must have cooked a few brain cells in the shower along with my skin. There was no way she could keep the pendulum's chain around me without my aid. So now I was back to square one. Then inspiration hit me.

"Benny." I ran to the phone and dialed his cell number praying he hadn't let the battery go un-charged again. When I heard the ring on the other end I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

"Hello?"

"Benny? It's me; I need your help right away. Can you come over?"

"Sure kid, anything wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Yes, but I'll tell you when you get here."

He arrived at my house in record time. He wasn't three steps in my door when I asked him "I need you to handcuff me."

"Excuse me?" he asked "You want to start that story again from the beginning?"

I didn't really want to tell him, but I owed him a pretty good explanation. "I figured out how Hao came back." I braced myself to tell the man who was practically a foster parent to me and a damn good cop that I was the one killing these people but he interrupted me.

"Through you." He said soberly. When he caught the surprise on my face he asked. "What? I'm a cop. You say you know how this guy came back and ask me to cuff you; did you think I couldn't figure out?"

"He takes over my body when I'm asleep. I need you to handcuff me to my bed."

Despite the gravity of the situation, he started to chuckle. "Why Lyserg I'm flattered, but I think Liz might get jealous."

I'd been so preoccupied with Hao that it took me a moment to get the joke. Then I laughed too. I really needed the laugh.

After a little more persuasion, he agreed to cuff me to the bedpost. Originally he wanted to stay in the spare room, but I insisted he go home. "Just don't forget to come by and unlock me tomorrow morning."

"You sure kid?"

"Yeah, now go before Liz really does get jealous."

He gave me a small grin "You don't need anything else? Sure you don't need to go to the loo? I'd hate for you to have an accident."

I laughed at him again "Just go!"

I listened while he left my house and locked the door with his spare key. My whole body tensed for attack as soon as I heard the lock slide shut.

As the minutes passed and nothing happened, my muscles slowly began to loosen. After more minutes they started to feel uncomfortable. After forty-five minutes they were back up to tense from discomfort.

Let me just say that sleeping while chained to a bed is in no way comfortable. You can't move around like you normally would. It gets very annoying very quickly.

Eventually exhaustion that was probably induced by the stress of the day caught up with me and I fell asleep. I don't really remember when I fell asleep I just remember when I started to dream.

The landscape was a typical dream landscape always changing with some things mismatched or misplaced like a mountain that's really an elephant's leg, stuff like that.

But the one thing that remained constant in the shifting dreamscape was Hao standing looking at me with that same disgusted sneer on his face he always reserved for us lesser beings.

"What do you want Hao? I'm not letting you out with my body."

"I'm not worried about that. But I do think its time I taught you some manners." Quick as a flash he was on me.

One moment he was standing several paces away the next moment a bright starburst appeared before my eyes and a stinging pain on the left side of my face where he punched me. His speed was impossible. By the time my brain processed that I'd been hit, he'd hit me several more times in the face and stomach. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth and my whole body was nothing but a mass of pain.

How the hell was he doing this? This was just a dream wasn't it? More importantly, it was _my_ dream. How could he have control here? Did he find some way to make me think I was feeling pain in my dream? Maybe it was like hypnotic suggestion.

Whatever it was it was working. I couldn't do more than prop myself up on an elbow while he looked down on me.

"I've had just about enough of your attitude." He said adding a kick to my ribs sending me sprawling. "I am so sick… of you… calling _me_ evil," he added with another kick in each pause "when all I was doing was trying to save the earth from what humans were doing to it. I was trying to save both the earth and our way of life and you think you have the right to judge me?"

He paced away from me which gave me a moment to catch my breath. "You're so full of shit." I wheezed at him.

He didn't bother to respond, just turned to look back at me like I had some nerve speaking without permission.

"You're so full of shit." I repeated "You may have started out with good intentions, but those were gone long ago. It's not about saving the earth anymore, it's about you! The great Asakura Hao! All the crap you put us through was about you wanting to show the world your greatness!"

Eventually I had managed to stand although I think all of the gasping and groaning I did took some of the impact away from my little speech. "Others have been given great power, but you were the only one to squander it. Jesus, Buddha, Mohamed, they used their gifts and wisdom to help guide others. You just wanted to know what was in it for you. To rule your great 'Shaman only' kingdom!" I sneered sarcastically back at him. No mean feat considering I could feel my lip was split and bleeding and my cheek was already starting to swell.

I'm not sure if what I said to him was getting through or if he was just to shocked that I had enough strength to talk back at him but instead of a clever comeback he used that inhuman speed again an gripped his hands on my throat. "Shut up." He commanded.

Humph, who did he think he was kidding? I wasn't a naïve little boy anymore. I knew he wouldn't actually kill me. After all, he needed me. Of course that didn't stop him from doing as much damage as he wanted. He was like the unwanted party guest that wrecked your home before you managed to kick him out.

"It's a Shaman's duty…" I gasped out but couldn't finish the thought before I had to try and collect more air into my lungs. Almost as an afterthought, I remembered the little bit of hand to hand Benny made me take.

I lowered my chin and turned my head to the side as much as I could. I then punched my one hand through Hao's arms clipping him in the jaw in the process. Last I swept the other arm overtop of his while spinning around and managed to free myself enough to bring much needed air into my lungs.

"The others were peaceful, kind and accepted their roles with humility. I doubt you could even find humility in the dictionary. As much as I hate you, I admit you could have been great. I've seen enough people charmed by you to know normal humans would have listened to you .You could have helped guide humans away from pollution and the stripping of the earth's resources but your ego got in the way."

Once again Hao launched himself at me but this time I blocked the punch. "You think you know everything?" He snarled at me. It appeared that his control of my dream was not as absolute as I'd thought. His control slipped a little bit the angrier he got.

Still, that left him with a hell of a lot of control.

"You weren't there. You were never forced to feel people's jealousy of you or hear their plots to kill you. Even my own parents were afraid of me. I would have been content to commune with the spirits of nature for eternity, but they wouldn't let me."

"You had a duty!" I countered.

"I didn't want my duty! I wanted to be left alone!" Hao yelled and attacked me again. But this time there was something odd about his attack.

It was like you see in the movies where a dream melts into reality. One moment Hao had my shoulder in a painful grip, and then the grip was less painful and belonged to Benny who was trying to shake me awake.

"Lyserg! Kid, are you up?" he asked peering into my face.

It took me a moment to focus my eyes on him. As soon as I did I could make out the alarm in his face along with the pain in mine. I answered him with a groan.

"Jesus kid what happened?" he asked while unlocking the cuff on my wrist.

"Hao." I answered, but it sounded more like a whimper of pain. Ugh I hurt all over. I surveyed what I could of my body. It was nothing but one big throbbing pain. My wrist was raw and bleeding where the cuff had bitten into it and I could see bruises blooming like strange flowers across my torso.

"How?"

"I'm not really sure. He attacked me in my dream but somehow he made it real." I said gently fingering my neck knowing there would be bruises there.

Yeah okay, so he kicked my ass. But I think I gave him something to think about too.

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to everyone for the reviews. I so sorry this chapter took so long it turned out to be bigger than I expected.

Possession - Chapter 5 

Ouch.

Ow.

Ouch.

Owee ow.

Trust me, trying to eat toast when your lip has been split for the third time in two weeks is not as fun as it sounds.

I've tried and tried and tried again, but I still have yet to get a hold of Yoh. I even tried to find some of the others and failed at that. It seemed that in my absence from them they'd acquired quite the lives but no one felt the need to pass on their contact info.

First I tried Horo but I should have known from the start that was a futile effort. You see, Horo is a big time famous extreme athlete and snow boarder. When he couldn't become Shaman King to save the Korropokkur, Horohoro decided to use his athletic skill (and I'm guessing a few shaman tricks) to become the world famous "Kamikaze Horo" to help spread his cause of saving their environment.

Don't laugh. I swear to you that's the name the press has given him. And trust me it's more than a little strange to see an old friend's face on sport's drink billboard or grinning back at you from the cover of a tabloid at the checkout. Not that I'm not happy for him. I am. It's just a little unnerving at times.

Even more amazing was that Ren is his manager. I only knew that because I'd read it from the caption on a picture in a magazine of Horo with Ren scowling in the background.

So basically, it was virtually impossible to get in touch with either of them.

Ryu still lives like a gypsy in constant search for his happy place so all of the numbers I had for him were out of service. Chocolove was just as bad and there were only so many messages I could leave at Faust's clinic.

That left only one person.

If anyone could find Yoh it would be Manta. The problem with him was that he moved to the US to join the family business with his father. I tried calling the company they own but only managed to be transferred to six different people who had no clue who Manta was.

My last hope was finding him on the net and sending him an email. After the tournament I knew there were a few sites that Manta kept watch on. I just hoped if I found his handle and that the email attached to it would still work.

Still painfully munching on my breakfast I scrolled through the members of one of the larger sights. Honestly, some of these names were ridiculous. Wait, there was a promising one. The Big Hammer.

I couldn't help grin to myself which made me wince in pain at my lip. I wouldn't put it past Manta to want to call himself 'big'-anything. But since Mosuke's signature item would be a hammer, it would be a good place to start.

The stats listed a male the right age and location as Manta, but that didn't mean it was him. My dowsing skill was virtually useless when searching the internet, but I still had some instincts and they were telling me that was a good place to start. Under normal circumstances I might have been more cautious but I was getting desperate so I tried to send as innocuous a message as I could just in case it was someone else.

**To: theBIGhammer **

**From: lysdeithel **

**Re: He's back**

**Hey Manta,**

**Can you get in touch with our favorite cheeseburger eating slacker? His brother is back in town and he's been giving me some trouble. Please email or phone me ASAP.**

**Lyserg.**

"Don't let me down." I told the computer.

Just as I was logging off Benny came in to check up on me. Over the past two weeks he'd continued to cuff me to my bed at night and unlock me in the morning.

As least he upgraded to fur lined cuffs although I definitely don't want to know where he got them.

He stayed past breakfast today because we had actual work to do.

"Ready to go kid?"

"Yeah. Just trying to see if I can track down some help." I muttered gloomily.

"You still haven't been able to get that fella in Japan?" he asked already knowing the answer. We'd been through this several times over the past two weeks.

We'd been through it so much that I already knew what he was going to say next and he didn't let me down.

"I still think you should see someone about your sleeping problem. The guy at the sleep disorder clinic said he'd be most interested in seeing you. He really helped me."

I was tempted to scream in frustration. "How many times do I have to explain it? I don't need a psychiatrist or a sleep therapist. I need something closer to an exorcist. There is no way he's going to believe or understand that it's a ghost that's hurting me at night." I said through clenched teeth.

"Still, maybe they might be able to prescribe something to let you sleep without the fear of waking up covered in bruises." He tried to suggest patiently. After two weeks of waking me up after minimal sleep he knew better than anyone how moody I was getting. I swear if he brought up that stupid clinic again I really was going to scream.

"So what do you need from me today?"

"We got a missing kid. He went missing two nights ago." He said.

"What? Why didn't you call me sooner?" I asked shocked. Usually he would call me right away. The longer the kid was missing the worse his chances were.

Benny made a face and stared fiercely at the floor. "I did want to bring you in yesterday, but you were beaten so badly that day you could barely get out of bed. In that shape, I didn't think you'd be much help."

I tried to ignore the sting of his words but I do remember how I was and I suppose his worries were justified. "Still," I said irritated "who knows what has happened to him in those two days!"

Benny made another face and looked at me with a face filled with worry and remorse. "You don't think I don't know that? Besides, our investigation suggests that this is a runaway situation rather than abduction or being lost."

Leaving the rest of my breakfast by my computer, headed straight for the door only slowing down a little to put on my shoes and grab my coat. "Do you already have something of his?" I asked not bothering to look back to see if he was following. I knew he was anyway. As expected, he anticipated my question and passed me an evidence bag with a ball cap in it and map just as soon as we were seated in the car.

I wasted no time pulling out my pendulum and let my mana course through me and take in the emotional thumbprint on the ball cap.

The crystal practically jumped to one particular green space on the map. "Where's this?" I asked myself trying to orient our current location to the one the crystal was stuck to.

Reaching a red light, Benny looked over "I know that park. It's a couple of kilometers away from the kid's house. We looked there but didn't find anything. You sure he's there?"

My pendulum was practically glued to the map. "I'm sure." I repeated confidently.

* * *

I didn't even wait for the car to be properly stopped before I left it at a run. I could never be sure if it was experience or instinct or a bit of both that were telling me to hurry but something inside told me that I needed to move fast.

I paused long enough in my movement to let my pendulum reorient itself and point in the needed direction.

"Morphine! Can I get you to fly ahead and see what you can find?" I asked her while ignoring the sounds of Benny trying to catch up from behind.

_Why bother, its just one human boy. Hardly worth the trouble._ Hao whispered sarcastically. I knew he only said it to upset me. Truthfully, he didn't care if I saved the boy or not he just wanted to pick another fight.

"I don't have time to argue with you right now Hao." I snarled under my breath. I swear lately he is just arguing just for sake of arguing with no real point or purpose.

_You would too if you were me. I've spent almost ten years hiding inside of you having to stomach your hypocritical Pollyanna attitude. Now that I can make myself heard I'm going to damn well say what I want. So if I think saving some idiot human kid who ran away and probably deserves whatever has happened to him THAN I'M GOING TO DAMN WELL TELL YOU! _

I winced as his mental voice started to echo against the insides of my skill. Amazing how someone with no real voice can be so loud. Despite my best intentions to ignore him I still found myself answering him. "He's just a boy Hao." I said never once stopping my movement toward where the pendulum was pointing.

That earned me a snort of derision. _I was just a boy when my family decided I was too dangerous and tried to get rid of me._

That made me pause for a moment. "What are you talking about?" I asked out loud then belatedly noticed some joggers on a nearby path look at me nervously. What like I'm the only one in the world who talks to themselves? Still I lowered my voice a few notches.

"Do you really think they wanted to do that? Didn't you pay attention at your wake?"

Of all the comebacks I was expecting, Hao's total shock wasn't one of them. It was enough to stop me dead in my tracks. He didn't say anything, but his surprise felt as real and a palpable as my own.

Didn't he know his family had funeral services for him? And then as if a light bulb went on over my head I realized no he didn't. It was just after the tournament and Hao would probably have still been too weak to be aware of my surroundings. In fact, I realized with growing confidence, it probably took a few years before he was strong enough to be able to follow what was happening in my life.

That still left some pretty awkward moments in my life that he was a part of, but it made me feel a bit better to know I didn't have someone hovering over my shoulder for ten years.

"Hao they mourned you. Not 'The Great Hao' but you Asakura Hao their son, grandson, brother, cousin. They were all there grieving for the person they never got to know." I could still clearly remember the sight of Yoh and his parents in tears. I never felt guiltier in my entire life. "If anyone abandoned anyone it's you who abandoned them. They loved you Hao. Regardless of what you became."

Hao was still recovering from his surprise when Morphine flew into view looking anxious. I didn't need to ask if she had found him. The expression on her tiny face told me she did and that I needed to hurry.

Breaking into a sprint I followed her to the edge of a small ravine. I hopped over the guardrail and looked over the edge. It wasn't a huge drop, but with all of the loose rocks and debris, the fall could kill a young boy. There was no sight of the kid but Morphine was hovering about halfway down gesturing at a spot almost straight under me that I couldn't see.

I gave a quick scan of the area and was relived to see Benny was the only other person in sight so a quickly used my oversoul in my pendulum to latch on to the guardrail and repel down the edge.

As soon as I was past the ledge that I was standing on I could see the kid. I felt the breath returning to my lungs when I saw him move a little. He was alive, but pretty banged up and his left arm was hanging funny. Probably broken or dislocated.

Now that I could see the drop off from a different view I could see the spot of recently loosened rock and gravel where he must have tried going down only to slip and fall.

"Benny!" I yelled up and saw the man's face peer over the edge "He's down here!" Then as an afterthought, "What's his name?" I asked, mentally slapping myself for not thinking of asking sooner.

"Jay." He yelled down already on his cell phone calling for an ambulance.

"Jay?" I called out experimentally and was rewarded with a dozy look that was part exhaustion and part pain. I swung myself to land next to him with the intent of covering him with my coat to keep him warm and realized my mistake almost instantly.

The loose rock that had made him fall was only just holding him up. The instant my weight was added they started to shift again and he began sliding.

I reacted quickly by grabbing him and getting Morphine to pull us up. Oh the paramedics were going to yell at me for moving him before checking the extent of his injuries. But that was later. This was now and the kid was safe.

_Stupid fool._ Hao grumbled in the back of my head. I wasn't sure if he was talking about the kid, me or someone else. I'm sure he'll argue about it later with me.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you again for all of the reviews! For those of you who have been waiting sooo patiently for me to get on with the yaoi, here you go!

Possession – Chapter 6

I was having the damndest time waking up. It felt like the connection between my brain and the rest of me was enveloped in a dense fog. When I tried to move it felt like I couldn't even figure out where my hands and legs were. The fog even prevented me from being alarmed that I couldn't control myself.

Eventually I managed to open my eyes to blurry brightness only to shut them back closed in defense from the light. God, my head felt like it was stuffed with wool and I could tell there was a champion headache waiting for me once I got it cleared.

"Hey kid? Lyserg? Can you hear me kid?"

Huh? Wha? Wassat? Was that noise? I felt the gears in my head slowly lurch into motion after what in real time was probably a good ten minutes the thought process finally went through. "Benny?" I croaked. For some reason my throat was just as bad if not worse than my head.

Benny's voice invaded my quiet again "Kid, you awake?" he asked. His tone sounded off though. Nervous.

I tried to open my eyes again but this time only slitting them open a fraction. "Benny? Wassappend? Iss bright." I slurred at him while trying to focus on his face.

Eventually my oldest friend's face came into view and I was immediately alarmed by how creased with worry it was. That sudden jolt managed to clear the last of the cobwebs away and I realized that I was lying down in a room that was not my own. In fact it looked very much like a… "Benny? What's happened?" I tried to sit up only to find that my legs and arms still wouldn't move.

Benny tried to make calm shushing sounds but they sounded nervous too. Wriggling around in the bed I angled my head to look at one of my hands and was horrified to see I was strapped to the bed with very serious looking leather cuffs.

"Easy, easy you're in the hospital. Do you remember how you got here?" he asked.

Shaking my head no, I tried to recall anything of the last… lord I don't even know how long I'd been there for!

Not trusting my voice at the moment I waited for Benny to explain to me how I ended up tied to a hospital bed.

"I came to unlock you a few days ago but when I got there your place was a wreck. Someone had set fire to your room and you were hiding in the shower screaming your head off. Do you remember that?" he asked

Oh god, I was? Shaking my head at him again I listened to him continue to talk, but the more he talked fragments of memories started to make their way through.

"I didn't know what to do so I called emergency services. It took three officers and two paramedics to get you into the ambulance. You kept screaming at them… Lyserg, they had to sedate you… and when they examined you…" he didn't finish his thought. But I knew what he was going to say.

As if a light bulb was switched on the memories of the past few days returned to me.

* * *

Flashback

Whoo did I ever get a lecture from the paramedics and later the doctors on moving that kid without checking or preventing any possible neck or back injuries. Regardless of the fact that I had to move him to avoid him falling further or the fact that the kid was alright, they still weren't happy until they all had me solemnly promise to never move a victim of a serous fall until they had been properly checked over by a qualified person.

They were right though. I studied law and trust me, if that kid had sustained any extra injuries I would have been sued for every last cent I was worth.

And I didn't help having Hao continuously grumble in the back of my head about how I should have let him die.

Anyway a few days later Jay's parents brought him by to see me. They were still a little worried about him. Although he didn't have any serious head injuries, they figured that the stress must have given him hallucinations.

According to them, he kept insisting that he saw me fly up the side of the ledge like magic.

Aha (cough) yeah. I was flying like magic (cough, cough). Wow, these crazy kids and their imagination. Heh, heh. I tried not to wince when I reassured them that he did seem pretty out of it when I pulled him up. I was already looked at like a freak for finding the kid without any effort how the heck would I explain oversoul? It was lucky that Benny had some rope for emergencies in his car otherwise I don't know how we would have explained my retrieval of Jay to anyone. Still I felt bad when I saw the look of complete disappointment and dejection on the kid's face. I hated lying to him.

Pulling him aside for a moment I figured I should at least say a few words or something. He looked at me warily. "Relax Jay I'm not going to ask you why you left home. I'm sure enough people have already asked you." I did however begin into a whole it's-never-right-to-run-away spiel when Hao decided to add his two cents.

_Oh yes, lets all bow our heads in respect for the great and sanctimonious Lyserg Diethyl. Hypocrite that he is._

I just barley managed to not audibly ground my teeth together. _Shut up Hao._

Having stopped mid speech I looked at the carefully bored expression on Jay's face and was forced to admit that Hao may have had a small point. Very small.

"Can I tell you a story?" I asked and his attention perked only a fraction. "A thousand years ago there lived a very powerful shaman…"

"Shaman?" he interrupted.

"It's kind of like a wizard or magician, but his power is to communicate with spirits. Anyway there was this one who was so powerful he was actually in tune with the forces of nature." I went on to describe my not so charming passenger in great detail then continued on to explain about how he went crazy but was defeated and how he keeps coming back every half century to try to gain control and destroy the world again.

I'm sure my story had no educational purpose to Jay running away, but for some reason I just felt the need to tell the kid. I did however try to find some sort of feeble link between the two so at the end I added a very lame "So here was this guy who had looks, power, brains and a loving family and he threw all of that away. So… uh… don't discount your family or the people who care about you okay? You may not always see it but they are there for you." Oh man I suck at child rearing. Jay just looked at me like I'd delivered the world's most boring algebra lecture. I suppose I deserved it.

Not wanting to leave that lasting impression I quickly checked to make sure no one was watching too closely and had Morphine push me up off the ground a little. Not enough to catch attention, just enough to let him know that my flying wasn't his imagination.

His eyes went enormously wide and was about to call out when I put my finger over my lips and made the classic 'shh' gesture.

I probably shouldn't have done that but I just didn't want to look like an old fart in his eyes.

I was returning home feeling rather pleased with myself when Hao had to spoil my fun.

_You want me._ He stated bluntly.

"Pht te what?" I stuttered while I tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.

_You want me._

Not wanting to draw too much attention I closed my mouth before I said something rude. _What the fu... I hate you. I'm sure we've already covered this._ I responded tartly. _Or have you gone even more insane?_

_Don't bother denying it. I'm surprised I didn't notice it before what with your crush on Yoh and all. _

Why that arrogant, egomaniac. No, I would not rise to this bait. _Screw you Hao._

A cynical laugh filled my head. _Don't you just wish I did?_ He responded arrogantly which made me flush a little in embarrassment. I walked right into that one.

Still I managed to withhold from asking the question he was so clearly daring me to ask which was where the hell he got such a stupid idea from.

_Amazing how you kept commenting on my looks. Really Lyserg how girly do you have to be to call another man beautiful?_

_I did not!_

_Three times._ _You mentioned how attractive you found me three times in your boring little tale. But now that I think about it this isn't the first time you've mentioned how great you thought I was. _The snide amusement that was pouring off of him had me clenching my fists so hard the nails broke the skin.

_Awww does poor little Lyserg suffer from a classic love/hate for his supposed long time foe? _He asked in an over the top theatrical voice.

Argh! I did not say he was attractive!

Uh, well maybe I did, but I didn't mean it like that! _Shut up Hao. Just because you looked like Yoh doesn't mean you were anywhere near the kind of man he is. A large part of Yoh's beauty comes from his kind heart._

_God Lyserg you are such a girl. _Hao snickered and was gone leaving me to spit obscenities in the street. By the time I entered my home I was in a fine temper. I was exhausted because I hadn't slept more than a few hours over the past two weeks, I hurt all over from being continuously beat up, and my spiritual hitchhiker was ruining my life.

Hoping to ease the ache in my muscles I soaked in a hot bath and made myself a simple dinner. When Benny came over to cuff me to the bed he brought some herbal tea his wife said was supposed to help me sleep. Hoping to appease him I drank it even though it tasted like filtered garden mulch.

Either it worked or I was too tired to even care anymore because I don't remember falling asleep and blessedly, my dream started out to be a normal nothing special dream allowing me to relax my guard and allow myself to go deeper.

I did mention started right? Yes you guessed it, by the time I was too deep into my dream to notice the difference or care it started to change.

First it started with me jogging past Tony's store like I usually do but this time I stopped in. Instead of getting my juice, he threw me up against the cooler and began kissing me senseless. Enthusiastically I wrapped my arms around him and returned the kiss. Our little make out session in the frozen foods seemed to shift around me from one moment to the next so that when I pulled back I found myself at Funbari Inn with Yoh pinning me to the floor with a lusty gleam in his eyes that I've never seen in real life.

No, I didn't suspect anything yet; I'm guessing my fatigue and that tea had something to do with that. And no instead of being suspicious I flung myself at dream Yoh trying to do all the things I would never do in real life.

By now my arousal was reaching maddening proportions and was pulsing painfully. I was just at the point when I was going to tell dream Yoh to make love to me when the scene changed yet again and I found myself in a grassy glade with a lovely pond that was fed by a waterfall. The scene was almost too perfect to be real.

Standing near the water was a tall man with long flowing dark hair dressed in white robes Note: Think of Hao's original incarnation. The man was impossibly beautiful. Like every fantasy I had combined into one person. I actually felt my heart thumping hard in my chest while I just stood there staring at him. I was already turned on from the earlier parts of my dream so when he turned to me with a grin I almost launched myself at him.

"Hello Lyserg." He said while putting one hand out to caress my cheek.

Then I really did launch myself at him. I tried everything seduction, force, begging and pleading to get this man to take me and take me he did. He didn't say much but anything he said or asked I did eagerly. It was perfect in that way that only dream sex can be with no awkwardness or pain only pure untainted pleasure. Never once did I stop to think that this was a dream. Nor did I wake up which was surprising because my bed sheets and pajama bottoms had to be a royal mess.

I let my dream lover fulfill every fantasy I could before finally snuggling down against him. I could go so far as to say at that moment I'd never been happier in my life. He kissed my forehead and ran his hand through my hair capturing my head in his hand leaning over to my ear.

"I told you, you wanted Me." he whispered in Hao's unmistakable voice.


	7. Chapter 7

Another long chapter. I'm trying to shorten them! Really I am! Thank you to everyone who sent reviews and thank you for your patience for this chapter.

Possession – Chapter 7

My hands gripped into tight fists and pulled at the straps restraining them. As the memory of my dream came back to me in full force my stomach heaved. If there was anything in it I would have puked it all over myself.

"Hey Lyserg? Are you still with me kid?" Benny's attempts to draw my attention back to him finally succeeded and I looked over to face him. I summoned up the courage to look him in the eye only to find he couldn't look into mine.

Oh yes that's right they "examined" me. If my dream bruises became reality I could just guess what that dream would look like? Judging by his description of how they found me, I probably looked like I was a victim of sexual assault.

"It's okay Benny, I remember now." And watched as his shoulders hunched just a little bit deeper. Of course, Benny was a cop and he would consider it his duty to help me, but he must know that there was nothing he could do in these circumstances. It wasn't going to be like a TV show where he could just hunt down the creep and pound him into the pavement. "You can't help here. You should go home." I told him bluntly. More than anything I wanted him gone and away from me. It was obvious that helping me through this was taking its toll on him.

At my words he did look me in the eye and rather than look relieved, he seemed more worried. Quickly he leaned over me and started talking in a low hushed tone. "I can't! This doctor they put you with… well the way they found you…" he kept halting his words as if trying to figure out how to explain himself.

"I'm guessing it looked as if I was raped." I didn't want to, but I helped push him along so he could spit out the rest of the statement.

He winced at the term but quickly shook his head clear of it. "That's just it kid, they don't think that. They think you- "

Whatever they thought was interrupted by the arrival of a man that looked like the stereotypical college professor complete with a turtleneck and tweed jacket with elbow patches.

"Good morning Mr. Diethyl. Awake I see." He greeted me with a false smile. "I'm Dr. Taylor. How are you feeling?"

"Is there some reason I'm tied to the bed?" I asked forgoing the pleasantries. Maybe it was Benny's almost warning or the fake smile, but I disliked him instantly.

The illusion of the fake smile never faltered just shifted into a more business tone. "They're there for your protection. You were very distressed when we brought you in and we were worried about you." He explained. Although his mouth stopped moving, for some reason I could clearly hear him say, "_We wouldn't want you hurting yourself again."_

Giving my head a shake I asked "I'm sorry, what was that again?"

"They're there for your protection." He answered very concisely like I was an idiot. Oh yeah this guy was really getting on my nerves quickly. Mind you there wasn't that little extra bit about me hurting myself this time.

"If they are bothering you, I'm sure we can get somebody in here to remove them soon." He turned to Benny and said "If it's alright with both of you I want to ask Lyserg a few questions." It wasn't really a question. More like a round about order for my friend to leave.

"I'll be just outside if you need me." He told me before reluctantly leaving.

Once the door was shut my doctor turned back to me "Now then, can you tell me if you know why you're here?" he asked.

I leveled a long look at him unsure of what I wanted to tell him. There was no way in hell I was going to say I was seduced by the ghost of my parents' murderer. No one is that stupid.

"I had a nightmare and I overreacted." I answered carefully.

His eyebrows raised in polite surprise "A nightmare? Really? Can you tell me about this nightmare?" he asked, but again I heard extra words coming out of him from a closed mouth. "_Dissociation technique. Not unheard of to blame destructive behavior on a sleep disorder."_

What the hell was happening? Only one person I knew could pick thoughts out of someone's mind. As much as I REALLY didn't want to speak to him, I had to know if he was causing this new development.

_Hao!_ I barked.

_Hmmm? Awake are we now… lover?_ He asked amused. I cringed at the title. I knew he didn't mean it as any form of endearment just another way to upset me more. Although I remembered now, my mind still wasn't ready to think about what happened with Hao so I quickly slammed the door shut on any response to his barb.

_Did you do this?_ I asked not bothering to explain what I meant. I knew full well he was cleaver enough to understand me without wasting useless words.

He made a surprised sound. _If I knew seducing you would move me closer to my goal I would have done it ages ago._ He said speculatively. It took me a moment to understand what he meant by goal and then I was alarmed to realize he meant taking over my body. Now that my attention was focused inward I could feel more of him in me. His power, weak as it still was, was meshing with mine. _Don't think about it!_ I yelled at myself trying desperately to ignore the reason it was stronger.

I looked over at the doctor who was still patiently waiting for me to answer his question. What was it about again? Oh right, my dream. "I had a dream about the guy who killed my parents."

Sure enough, the man's mind kicked in to an internal dialogue. _Parents' killer? The file said they died in a fire on his birthday while he was out. The source of the fire was unknown. Perhaps his behavior began even then._

Inside my head Hao gave the mental equivalent of narrowing his eyes and tilting his head. _He thinks you imagined it_ he said speculatively and his tone suggested he wasn't sure whether he was amused or insulted

The thoughts from Dr. Taylor kept going on through Hao's speculation. _I'll need to investigate further to see if there were any indications of abuse. Wonder if he was ever a suspect for starting that fire._

My heart almost stopped in my chest and it felt like icy fingers were gripping my throat. I was too shocked to be able to let the rage I wanted to feel out. He thought that I had killed my own parents.

"You think I just imagined Hao." I blurted out to him completely ignoring the danger of confronting a man who had me strapped to a bed.

Now his expression changed. I didn't need to read his mind to tell the clear 'Uh oh' on his face. "I didn't say that. It does us no good for you to jump to such conclusions."

"You didn't need to say it!" I yelled and jerked my wrists in the straps holding me. "Get me out of this. Now!" I ordered. There was no way I was staying one second longer.

"I'm sorry Mr. Diethyl but as your doctor I can't do that yet." He said while trying to discretely move over to the call button by the bed. "Not until I know for certain you're going to be -urgh!"

A spectral arm sprang from my body and gripped the doctor's hand. I winced at the quick cracking sound that I knew had to be a few of is bones, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the doctor's screams anyway.

"_You are not in a position to tell me what to do little man."_ Hao whispered darkly.

I don't think I'll ever know how Hao did it, but one moment the doctor was yelling in pain, and he stopped while looking at his broken hand as if seeing it for the first time. A shiver went down my spine when I saw his eyes track up the spectral wrist and the arm that I knew was extended from my body. When Hao sat up from my chest the doctor looked like he was going to start screaming again, but Hao changed his grip to the man's neck.

Some time during all the yelling Benny had arrived but I'd failed to notice it until he was trying to undo my bonds. Even then I was deaf to his need for an explanation. I had more serious problems.

"_It's a shame that you think the spirit world is imaginary, because your about to be joining it." _Hao threatened A few orderlies having heard the commotion stormed in but when they saw me still lying in my bed with the doctor immobilized by some unseen force they seemed unsure of what to do.

"Hao don't'!" I yelled. At this point the orderlies must have thought Benny was who I was yelling at and that he was taking me against my will, because they grabbed and stopped him from undoing anymore straps.

The ghost that I helped create looked at me with disdain. "_Don't tell me you're going to try to defend him. He thinks you killed your parents. He even thinks you hurt yourself and blamed it on me."_

Alright, I admit I couldn't stand the man but I couldn't let Hao do this. "I can't let you do this."

"_Morality? Please Lyserg; we both know what really lurks under that pretty boy face." _

I grit my teeth and tried not to scream in frustration. If I didn't say something quick the doctor who was starting to blubber incoherently was going to die.

Sighing in defeat I did the only thing I could think of. "You're right Hao." I don't know who was more surprised I actually said those words, him or me. "What I did to you was wrong regardless of the reasons and I have to live with that burden for the rest of my life. Your death didn't bring closure or peace. It certainly didn't bring my parents back. It may have saved the human race, but we both know that wasn't the reason I helped defeat you."

With one hand free I was able to free my other hand and legs so I could sit up in the bed. I was a little surprised to find that the wall at the foot of my bed had a two way observation mirror. I looked at the back and forth between the reflection of Hao and the reflection of the man he still held. "He may be a jerk, but I can't let you kill him."

"_Well, well so you do believe all of that self righteous crap you keep spewing about. Do you really think you can stop me?" _he asked while tightening his grip.

"Hao don't." I said then added, "Please." I had no idea how I would stop him and he knew it.

The apparition in the mirror gave me one of his dark grins "_Alright,"_ he conceded then turned to the doctor whose eyes were fixed on the reflection in the mirror. "_You get to live for another day little man. I'll even leave you a little gift."_

Scores of spirits flooded the room heading and swarmed the doctor all vying for his attention. Cradling his injured hand he used the other to try and wave them away like insects. "_Since you're so determined to butt into other people's business and help, I've found you some new patients."_ Hao announced.

I winced at the hoard of spirits with unresolved issues that were clamoring to get at the now very scared doctor. A hospital would have scores of troubled spirits.

"No! Get away from me! Leave me alone!" The orderlies who were still in the room finally realized that something was not right with the doctor and one of them tried to help him out of the room. The man shrieked when the orderly touched him and started flailing madly. Taking pity on the man I mentioned that I thought he broke his hand.

Eventually they called in someone else who had to carry him out screaming while they tried re-strapping me to the bed.

No I don't think so.

"Morphine!" I called knowing she would have to be near. She appeared almost instantly and got me the hell out of there by shoving everyone who got in my way to the walls. Benny followed silently behind.

I let him drive me home ignoring the odd looks everyone gave me as I walked through the parking lot wearing one of those flimsy hospital gowns. After all that had happened I was too numb to care.

I had the feeling that I'd permanently scarred my oldest friend not to mention that doctor and oddly enough I couldn't bring myself to care anymore. It's true what they say. The body and mind can only take so much in before it just shuts down. That was where I was right now. Numb. Unable to care anymore about anything.

Maybe it would be better if I just left.

Pulling up to my home I noticed Benny didn't get out. He just handed over his spare key. "I'm leaving." I told him.

"I know. You take care of yourself okay?" he wouldn't even look at me.

"Bye Benny." I said slipping out and up to my door.

When I walked into my house I immediately picked up the burnt smell that was probably still lingering in my room. I groaned when I realized most of my clothes probably didn't survive the little episode after my dream. I shuddered involuntarily still trying to block out that night.

Trudging upstairs, I was able to scrounge around and found something to wear in the mess that was my dresser. I gathered any other usable clothes together and dumped them into a bag. I moved into the kitchen to see if there was any food I could pack but froze the instant I passed the foyer. It was packed full of people who weren't there a few minutes ago.

"Hey Lyserg!" Yoh said in his usual happy carefree tone.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic reviews! I know you've all been waiting patiently for this and believe me when I say I'm working as fast as I can. No I haven't abandoned this fic, it's just taking me longer than I like to get it done.

As always, apologies for the un-betaed quality.

Possession – Chapter 8

As I gazed at the crowd gathered in my foyer the numbing cold that I felt earlier seemed to expand and solidify freezing me to the depths of my soul. A few weeks ago I would have been thrilled to see any one of them, but today there was nothing. I couldn't even summon the energy to smile at them.

_Yoh, you're too late_ I thought to myself while looking at my one time friends I suppose it was just as well I was numb for if could find some last reserve of energy to react, I would probably would have broke down and cried.

Only the manners that my parents had ingrained in me since I could walk, forced me into action. "Hello Yoh. What brings you here?"

The group as a whole started exchanging odd looks with each other. If I could have laughed I would have. Instead I just waited for them to ask what I knew would be coming.

Sure enough, Manta stepped forward. "Well, you sent me that email about Hao. That was you, wasn't it?" He said sounding a little unsure. Mosuke's spirit hovered next to him in support.

"Yes." I answered simply. More than a few of my guests looked like they were expecting me to say more than that and were surprised when I didn't elaborate.

A small crease formed between Yoh's brows "Where is he Lyserg?" he asked.

Watching him, I took note of the changes since I'd last seen him. As expected, he'd grown into a handsome young man and there was a distinct imprint of my dream lover in Yoh's features. Figures, Hao's spirit was strong enough to imprint itself at a genetic level. Speaking of which, Yoh's twin was conspicuously silent all of a sudden. "It doesn't matter any more Yoh, he's my problem to deal with now."

Ren made a snorting sound and I was sure he heard Horo say "Typical" under his breath. Ryu's reaction was the most vocal. "But Lyserg! We came all this way! You don't need to do this alone!" _Not to mention that you aren't strong enough._ The heavily coiffed man said mentally unaware that I could hear the thought.

_Poor Ryu. You just can't understand._ I almost felt my lips try and twitch in a lame approximation of a smile. "It's alright Ryu; you would only end up dead if you tried."

They all gave him varying expressions of surprise at the warning. Yoh's expression darkened into a visage that had not been seen since the tournament. "Where are you Hao?" he demanded and the others waited to see if the bastard would appear.

He didn't Not that I was surprised. At best, he was probably only one tenth of the strength he had during the tournament. Even then that still made him damn powerful.

The others waited a little longer then started to look back at me for an explanation as to why their foe refused to appear. I could have told them, maybe I should have, but I didn't really feel like it so I didn't. Of course, what I felt never really mattered when Anna was nearby. "Isn't it obvious? He's hiding in Lyserg." She announced. Funny, her voice usually sounded like nails on a chalkboard to me, but right now I couldn't bring myself to care either way.

Hearing this, the others regarded me with mixed expressions varying from battle readiness to disbelief and even open hostility. Yoh's eyes narrowed. "Get out of him."

At first nothing happened, and even I thought Hao was going to remain hidden but then after a large pause we all heard. "_No, I don't think I will."_ I knew for a fact my mouth didn't move, but I could plainly tell everyone knew where the voice emanated from by the way they were staring at me.

Yoh's brows drew even closer together and dipped further down. "Get out of him now. That's the last time I'll ask you nicely."

"_Is that your idea of asking nicely? What kind of manners did those parents of ours teach you?"_ Hao asked with biting sarcasm. I didn't have time for this sibling rivalry. I had to put a stop to this and I had to get these people out of my home, or the plan that I'd been trying hide and not think about might surface. "Stop it both of you. Yoh I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I don't need you anymore."

The would-be Shaman King looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses. "Even like this you're not strong enough to take him." He warned.

"It doesn't matter any more Yoh, your too late. Just go and let me deal with Hao in my own way. And who are you to lecture about being rude Hao? Since when have you _ever_ asked for anything?" Even I could hear the snarl in my voice.

Hao gave a cynical chuckle, "_Aw Lyserg, I think my feelings are hurt. My lapse in manners didn't seem to bother you the other night."_

My teeth clenched together so tightly my jaw hurt. "Shut up Hao." I grated out.

If anything, Hao's chuckle got louder. "_Oh now my feelings really _are _hurt. I think you're ashamed of me!"_ He gave a theatrical wail.

"Shut up Hao."

By now my spectral parasite was laughing in earnest and I could tell by the way their eyes were shifting to a spot above my head that Hao had emerged somewhat from my body to make himself visible to everyone else. Their expressions were now a mixture of confusion and hostility.

"_You didn't know that did you?"_ he asked all of them and I could see most of them were thoroughly confused now.

"Shut up!" I yelled at him one last time knowing there wasn't a hope in hell that the bastard would listen.

"_You didn't know that our little Lyserg prefers someone with a little more balls and a little less breast?" _he asked. Any confusion about his question was completely erased by the lewd way Hao's spectral arms were fondling my chest and groin.

I tried to ignore the looks the others were giving me. Ryu and Manta were clearly shocked, Ren and Anna had expressions so forcefully bland they could have been statues, Horo at looked concerned and Yoh shot me a look full of pity and guilt. It was his look that pissed me off the most. It was bad enough that Ryu always treated me like one of his stray-puppy/Dead Enders but now Yoh?

Foolishly, I tried to slap the groping hands away but he just made them insubstantial forcing me to slap myself. "Don't touch me Hao. Not now, not in my dreams, not ever."

I didn't need to see the smug grin on his face to know it was there when he slowly slid his hands off me. He knew, as well as everyone else in the room that he'd won this battle of wills.

Yoh had apparently had enough. "Get out of him!" he demanded and I could feel the bored amusement Hao directed at him.

"_Really brother, why on earth would I do that? Lyserg's proven to be an excellent vessel to regain my strength with. What possible reason could I have to give that up?"_

"How about your own body?" Yoh asked carefully with a calculating look I never would have expected from him. Although I wasn't sure what he meant, the others with him were clearly shocked. Did he mean he could find Hao a body of his own or did he mean… _no_ I thought to myself horrified.

The lapse caused my surprise was enough for Hao to take hold of my body and lunge at his twin. In a heartbeat my foyer was crowded with oversouls all pointed at me.

"Where is it?" I heard him growl through my teeth while I fought to regain control of my body.

"It's safe." Yoh answered vaguely. I could tell Hao was desperately trying to pull the location from any one of their minds, but they either didn't know it or they were carefully guarding the secret.

"You lie. I would have returned to it as soon as I regained my strength." Hao challenged and I could tell he was hopeful but skeptical. In response, Yoh threw something at his/our feet.

It was unmistakably one of the star earrings that Hao wore. It was a bit singed and there was a piece broken off but it was definitely his. Using the same trick Hao did to take over my body; I regained control when he was distracted by looking at the earring. Having been pushed back, Hao was forced to use his spirit form to talk. "_Where is it?"_ he asked again while I picked up the earring to examine it. As soon as I touched it I knew where the rest of Hao's body was. I knew my powers had increased, but this time I didn't even need a pendulum to dowse. I could tell that his body was lying in a hospital bed in Eastern Europe and of course, what I knew Hao knew.

"_Of course. How silly of me not to notice. It's with the necromancer. I should have noticed that he wasn't here."_ The smugness had returned to his voice.

"Before you get any ideas to get it back, you should know we've barred your spirit from returning to it." Anna said, cutting into his gloating and I could feel Hao's fury at her. Hmm, maybe Anna isn't that bad. "We spent months on the spells and sutras binding your body so don't get your hopes up."

I had never felt Hao so furious and it took a moment for him to regain his composure. When he did though, it felt like a cool calm had washed over both of us. He closed his thoughts off from me and I could tell he was calculating and planning. That frightened me more than his rage.

tbc


	9. Chapter 9

Another chapter yay! Thank you to everyone who sent reviews. I'm so glad you are all enjoying this very strange, even twisted, romance.

A part of me has always wanted to do a story where great enemies become lovers, but I had to find just the right pair where the chemistry was believable.

Tell me, does anyone else have troubles remembering to keep the spirit allies in the story as I do? I'm forever forgetting to add Morphine when she goes everywhere with Lyserg. It's very frustrating, because I find myself having to fix a chapter just to make sure she has been added.

Possession – Chapter 9

I spent the better part of the day trying to get rid of my houseguests, but they were proving to be every bit as difficult to get rid of as Hao. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, only a complete fool would let their greatest adversary go free. Especially one with Hao's reputation of continually coming back like a bad boomerang to smack the unsuspecting upside the head.

I tried to hide my frustration, but they were ruining my plans. Finally Yoh pulled his head out of my fridge that he was raiding and gave me one of his rare, direct looks.

"You can stop trying to get rid of us Lyserg, because we're not going anywhere and we're not going to let you kill yourself." He stated quite bluntly. Ren, who was sitting at my table drinking tea made a small snorting sound.

I know my mouth must have fallen open, because his direct look changed to one of amusement. "What? Did you really think no one could tell what you were planning? Even Manta guessed your plans." Well damn, if they were able to guess, then it was a sure bet that Hao did as well.

Giving up all pretense of secrecy, I listed all of the reasons why my death would be the best solution, but they cut my arguments down every time.

"Fool," Ren said in an exasperated tone, "He would just comeback again. If not now, then in half a millennia. No, we need to deal with him now while we have somewhat control over him."

That's when I lost my temper. "Control! You call this control?" I yelled at him while gesturing to the bruises on my face. "Everyday I'm loosing more _control_ of myself to him! Do you even know what he's done? What I've been -" I cut the end of that thought off before it got too far. Neither of them were stupid, they'd seen Hao grope me would have been able to easily put two and two together from there. Judging by the way they were suddenly avoiding direct eye contact, I wasn't wrong.

Yoh was the one to break the awkward silence first. "I know your angry Lyserg, my brother has taken and done more things to you than most, but we've had a few years to think about this, and we all agreed that we either need to make him give up his quest to be Shaman King, or we will have to banish his soul."

I stood there shocked to the core. Banish Hao? Would Yoh even be capable of that? Trap his brother's soul in limbo for eternity? I only had vague recollections of the time when the X-Laws had tried to trap Hao, and the little I did remember disturbed me greatly. I remember feeling like I was dissolving. My sense of self disappearing like sugar in water.

Shuddering, I also remembered that at full power, Hao and Yoh were able to retain their sense of self and break themselves and everyone else free.

But Hao was nowhere near full strength.

"Why are you telling me this? What I know, Hao knows." I asked, although to be truthful, Hao had somehow pulled himself deep inside me to plot so I was virtually alone at the moment.

"He might as well get used to it. And while you're at it, you can tell him to not bother trying to subvert anyone. Not only because he failed last time, but because we're all agreed that this is the best course of action." Ren answered calmly although he was clear he was still offended by Hao's former interest in him.

"Funny you should mention that," I said, shifting my glare back and forth between the two "was there some reason all of you felt the need to NOT advise me that you had found Hao's body? Did you think I wouldn't want to know something like that _before_ he started taking over my body and killing other shamans again?" I asked pitching my tone into a false sweetness and was rewarded with twin expressions of horror.

"Oh, I'm sorry did I forget to mention that? It's strange, but as a law student I can verify with absolute certainty that no accused murderer has ever been acquitted on the plea of 'Innocent due to spiritual possession'. I wonder why."

I watched regret flow over Yoh's face and transform itself into resignation. "So that's how he's been getting stronger." He muttered, then to me "I am sorry my friend. At the time we thought we were protecting you. My brother has always been a sore issue for you, and we thought we could save you from more pain by letting you live your own life. In the end it only hurt you more. I know I'm sorry won't mean anything, but…"

"You're damn right it doesn't." I snapped at him and stormed out of my kitchen. I had never felt so betrayed or alone in my life.

I tried to go into the living room but Anna, Manta and Choco were in there fighting over what they were going to watch on TV. And by that I mean Anna was telling the others what they were going to watch and he was going to like it 'or else'.

Not wanting to see any of them, I stalked towards the back door only to bump into Ryu.

"Lyserg!" he greeted, though his tone and his voice were coated with false happiness.

"Not now" I growled, not wanting to talk to him any more than I did the others. Doing an about face I stormed off upstairs hoping not to run into anymore of my so called friends.

How could they do that? How could they shut me out like that? Even if we had grown apart, they should have at least told me about Hao still being alive after all we had been through together.

I would have locked myself up in my room, but unfortunately the door was hanging off of it in splinters. Instead I just sat in the slight gloom on the floor against the wall, staring at the charred remains of my furniture.

By the time my little pity party was in full swing Horo decided to make an appearance. "Hey Lyserg?"

_Go away. _I thought, rolling my eyes and gritting my teeth why couldn't these jerks just leave me alone? "What?" I snapped.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Wasn't that just a question? I made a noncommittal sound that he seemed to think was an assent.

"Are you really… you know…" the trailed off.

I know… what? Am I really possessed by my nemesis, am I really pissed that they left me alone to deal with him, am I really pissed that they never told me he was still alive? I pick 'D' all the above.

"gay?"

Okay that surprised me. I never would have figured anyone would have asked that. Well eventually they would, but not right now. At that point I'd REALLY had it with my so called friends and leveled my most hostile glare at him.

But the effect was lost on him since he wasn't looking at me. Instead he was staring into space looking so unsure; I lost my interest in trying to kill him with a glance. "How did you know?" he asked timidly, a state I didn't think anyone with the title 'Kamikaze' would know.

Damn, there went my bad mood up in smoke. Just because they abandoned me doesn't mean I could abandon them. Actually, in some ways you could say I had already abandoned them during the Shaman tournament, so maybe I did deserve to be left out of the loop this time. Let me just point out right now it really sucks to have a moment of clarity after feeling sorry for one's self, only to find you had no right feeling sorry for yourself.

Back to Horo's question.

"I didn't know. Why, is there a problem Horo?"

"I kissed Ren."

"And you're still alive?" I blurted. Honestly, can you blame me for being unable to stop myself from asking that?

Horo seemed to catch the humor in that and gave me a half-hearted grin. "He was kinda forced to laugh it off as a joke, but…"

"You liked it." I finished for him. It didn't take my new mind reading abilities to know what he was trying to say. Taking a deep breath he launched into his little story.

"A couple of months back I was in a competition, it was awesome I totally landed my…" he broke off his story with a sheepish look and I could tell that his performance in the competition wasn't the part he was wanting to tell me. "…anyway, afterwards there was a party like always and there were girls everywhere, so I thought it would be funny if I walked past and kissed all of them. Like an assembly line." I raised my brow at that, but let him continue. What kind of parties does he go to anyway?

"Most of them were groupies, so a lot of them really latched on like they were planning to give me an oral exam. I was really getting going, five girls, then six, and then I turned into the next one… only it was Ren." He said and I winced for him thinking what Ren might have done to him. I couldn't have been pretty.

"I had my eyes closed for most of the time so I didn't really notice any difference until I heard all of the yelling and whistling from everyone else. I even remember thinking 'wow, she's a damn good kisser' until 'she' shoved me onto my ass." Yep that would be Ren alright. Horo's just lucky there were so many potential witnesses, or it would have been worse.

"I didn't know what to do. My brain just froze on 'shit I just kissed Ren' so I said something like "Blech Ren!" and everybody laughed and thought it was just some kind of joke."

"But you liked it." I repeated, and he gave me a miserable look that affirmed my statement. "You should talk to him."

"Are you nuts? I want to live!"

"If you don't talk to him you will never know, and you will always wonder."

At this he gave me a very searching look. "That sounds like the voice of experience. How did _you_ find out you liked guys?"

"I didn't know at first. Or at least I wasn't willing to admit it to myself. I tried dating girls, even had a few girlfriends, but I was more interested in someone else."

"Yoh."

Horo may look and act like an idiot, but he can be annoyingly clever at times. I didn't bother admitting it; the truth was probably plainly visible on my face. Then he went back to being an idiot. "Hey maybe you and I should go on a date." He suggested nervously and I could tell he didn't mean it. Even if he had it wouldn't have mattered, because Hao chose that moment to come out of his plotting to join the conversation.

"Only if you want to die an extremely horrible and painful death." He said, surprising the both of us. Horo recovered quicker than me.

"Jealous Hao?"

I felt more than saw my little puppet master extract himself from my body enough to face him directly. As if on cue, our minute spirit allies appeared looking ready to do battle.

As soon as he saw them I could hear Hao almost keeling over with laughter and something that sounded like 'tiny runts'.

"They whipped you before ghost boy, they can do it again." Horo threatened, making Hao's mirth fizzle.

"Understand this snow flake, Lyserg is mine. Mine to do with as I please. If you idiots keep me from my body I will just continue with my original plan to take over Lyserg's I may even keep him in it, since he's proven to be somewhat entertaining. Touch any part of _my_ body and you will die." And then he was off, like the snake he was, crawling back under the rock that was me.

Tbc

Good news! The next chapter is already half done and it should be out soon!


	10. Chapter 10

**Warning- change of POV for this chapter!**

Possession – Chapter 10

x Horohoro x

Man I'm such a jerk. I can't for the life of me think of why I didn't keep in touch with Lyserg. I wished I had now, not that it makes any difference.

Worse, I shouldn't have dumped on him about that thing with Ren. The guy has enough problems to deal with. Man he looked really bad when his royal evilness showed up. He just kind of clamped up and that haunted look on his face made me sick to look at. He looked so… defeated? No… resigned maybe. Like he didn't believe we could ever help him. I couldn't take looking at him like that anymore, and I figured he didn't want to talk anymore, so I left.

I'm such a jerk.

I went straight to the kitchen where I knew I'd find Yoh stuffing his face. I wasn't expecting to see Ren there and my gut gave another little nauseous twitch, but I ignored it.

"We have a small problem." I told them.

"What? Not enough snow bunnies to keep you warm at night?" Ren asked. Dammit, I wish he would stop harping on that.

Ever since that kiss -no scratch that- even before that kiss he's been nagging me about the groupies that worm their way into my room. I don't invite them. Really! And it's not like he hasn't had offers himself. At that moment my mind had the very bad timing to wonder how many of those offers he'd accepted.

Shaking my head free of those thoughts, I ignored my business manager for the moment and focused on Yoh. "Hao's not that broken up about not getting his body back." I told them. Ren looked surprised and a bit worried but Yoh looked like he'd aged ten years before my eyes.

I hate it when he looks like that. He only gets that way when the full weight of his responsibilities catch up to him. I felt bad giving him another responsibility.

"He plans on using Lyserg." He said and there was that resigned look again. Did I miss some kind of memo that said we were all supposed to look like we were doomed to a fate we couldn't escape?

I didn't say anything but he nodded as if I did. "I knew the moment I saw Hao in him. He's meshed himself completely within Lyserg. There's no way we're going to be able to get him out without his co-operation."

Amidamaru materialized in the kitchen "We may have to use his body as a lure to draw him out instead of a bargaining chip to surrender his goals." The samurai ghost said.

Ren snorted "He's not a big enough fool to fall for that. Lyserg may end up getting his way in the end." The Chinese shaman said and I was surprised to hear a touch of resignation in his voice. I really need to get a hold of that memo. And burn it.

And just what did they mean Lyserg would be getting his way? What way? And then it hit me "We can't kill Lyserg!" I yelled at him. How could they even think that? Didn't we already do enough to him by leaving him alone?

"I didn't say kill him, but we won't be able to fight Hao and keep Lyserg from hurting himself as well."

"I don't think we need to worry too much about that" Yoh interrupted, "Hao won't let anything happen to that body. He needs it too much."

Well that made sense. Giving the two of them a half hearted grin I even added. "He might even be a bit jealous. I jokingly asked Lyserg if he wanted to go on a date and Hao jumped right out and told me he'd kill me, that Lyserg was his and that he found him entertaining."

I was rewarded with two shaman and one ghost face gaping at me in shock.

"And just what were you doing asking Lyserg on a date for? Four girls in your bed at one time not enough anymore?" Ren asked snidely.

I really wish he would let up about that. I couldn't complain too much though because it cheered Yoh up. "Whoa! Four girls? You've been holding out on me!"

"I have not! It was just one time and it wasn't my fault! Ren I told you that before." At that point Ryu, Manta and Choco came in.

"What's all the yelling about?" Ryu asked.

"Horo had four girls in his room at one time!" Yoh told them excitedly. "How did you do it?" he asked at the same time two other voices asked "Really?"

"No! Well, yes. See they were snowboarding fans…" I explained while I heard Ren cough something that sounded very much like 'snow bunnies' into his tea. Ignoring the jerk I continued to try and explain. "There was this party and… and…" I faltered when I saw their looks of virtual hero worship. "and… well they kinda bribed their way in to my room… and… and it was only one time!" I finished lamely not wanting to get any further into it. I swear to you, I could actually see little hearts dancing in Ryu's eyes. It was really creeping me out.

Getting pissed, I turned and stormed out. Why did Ren have to keep bringing that up? At that moment the house was far too crowded and I needed to get out. I left with only Kororo as company.

"Jerk" I said knowing she would listen. "You were there, you know nothing happened right? Jeeze what is up with that guy?" my spirit ally gave me a supportive look. She knew the truth. Come to think of it, why did nothing happen? When I came in and saw them there I was all ready to give them what they wanted and then I lost interest when Ren barged in.

Aw man, maybe I really did like Ren. I tried to picture what it would look like if it were him waiting for me, but the image just skittered around in my head like a scared rabbit. Putting the idea aside, I walked around to clear my head and had dinner out since I wasn't ready to sit at a dinner table and discuss my sex life. Especially with Ryu and those heart eyes. Ew.

I didn't make it back until after ten and I was surprised to find everyone in bed. Guess jet lag could do that to you. I'd gotten used to traveling over the past few years so I was fine. Still, I supposed it would be smart for me to get some rest.

I made my way upstairs to find where I was supposed to sleep, but I got distracted by a noise from Lyserg's room. Thinking that Hao was giving him more trouble, I went in without knocking and got the shock of my life.

Hao was bothering him alright, but it was a definitely different form of bothering.

Lyserg was kneeling on his floor, his eyes were closed and his expression was one of pleasure. His legs were straddling some unseen (though not at all mysterious) presence. Just because nothing happened that night with the four girls, didn't mean I wasn't more than experienced enough to recognize the rocking of his hips for any other activity. Still, that wasn't even the strangest part.

He was still fully clothed and there was something odd about his demeanor. I know I had made a sound of surprise when I entered, but he didn't stop. I even started to apologize, but he acted as if I wasn't there. It was then that I put together what he had said earlier. '_Don't touch me Hao. Not now, not in my dreams. Not ever.'_

Hao was in his dreams? Judging by the expression on Lyserg's face, it must have been one hell of a dream. Ugh, I can't imagine how I'd feel if I woke up from a wet dream only to realize it was someone like Hao seducing me. Yuck.

I tried to give Lyserg a hard nudge to wake him, and got thrown into the wall for my efforts.

"Kororo!" I called and tried using my oversoul on him but he didn't budge. Not even from my hardest punch. It was like he was a five ton statue that was bolted to the floor. I shot ice shards at where his invisible 'lover' would be and only ended up putting holes in his burnt carpet. I wanted to yell, but I didn't want to wake up the others. I figured I could at least save some of his dignity by not having the others witness it.

Desperate, I ran to the kitchen and found Ren raiding the fridge for milk. "What are you doing up?" he asked me, but I ignored him. Instead I rifled through his cupboards frantically until I found a large bowl and filled it with cold water all the while ignoring Ren's questions.

Dashing back upstairs, I slopped at least a third of the water on myself, but I ignored that too. In his room, I threw the water at Lyserg hoping to get a reaction. Annoyingly, the only reaction in the room was Ren's gasp when he saw a soaking wet Lyserg making love to nothing.

It didn't take him long to put together what I was trying to do and he immediately summoned his oversoul to stab at the floor. "You don't think I tried that already?" I whispered sarcastically.

"We need to wake him up." He hissed back.

"Well duh. I've already tried everything I can think of. Oh, and don't touch him unless you want to get thrown into the wall." I cautioned, seeing as he was looking like he was going to try slapping Lyserg awake.

He stood there thinking for a moment and I tried not to notice the way the sleeping captive's pants were turning into moans. "I have an idea. Morphine." He called quietly. I wasn't surprised that she almost appeared instantly. I could tell by her tiny face that she was extremely worried about her ally.

"We've been in Hao's head before. Remember?" he asked and unfortunately I did. I wasn't looking forward to repeating the experience. He turned to Morphine and asked. "Is there any way you can work with us using your dowsing skill to help put us into Lyserg's dream?"

The tiny fairy seemed to think it over and nodded slowly as if unsure of her answer. Not comforting, considering I had no idea how we could pull off something like that. "Can we do that?" I asked him.

"Astral projection." He answered I knew I was going to die. I never really attempted projection because I sucked at it. I had little control over my spirit once it left my body and a part of me was always terrified something would happen to my body while I was out of it.

It took a few tries, but I eventually got out of my body and Morphine was there waiting for us to guide us into Lyserg's dream. I guess Hao must not have anticipated this type of attack, because Ren and I made it in with little effort.

I got the second eye opener of the evening. I had already known what to expect from what Lyserg looked like in his room, but seeing him astride Hao, -not the Hao we knew but the first Hao from a thousand years before- and getting the shagging of his life was still a surprise.

Strangely, I didn't have anymore trouble picturing having sex with Ren. But now was not the time to think of that.

I had to fight a small wave of nausea when I heard Hao's murmured words drift up to me. "… we could be together forever my sweet. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Lyserg smiled at him deliriously.

My god what a creep. Time to put a stop to this "Get away from him Hao!" I yelled while Ren added "Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower."

To say Hao was Livid was a big, BIG understatement. Sparks actually shot out of his form and he threw a dazed Lyserg off of him. "You dare!" he screamed as us. Honestly, he was practically foaming at the mouth and if I was in my body at that moment I would have needed to clean my shorts.

He reached out to us with impossibly long arms and somehow we became like two tiny action figures being crushed in his grip. Damn dreamscape, anything could become reality here. I felt one of my ribs crack under the pressure and I looked over at Ren to see he was just as helpless. I was trying to come up with something when Hao suddenly dropped us.

Lyserg was standing behind him, fully clothed now, and spitting mad. "I told you not to touch me ever again!" he yelled and whipped his pendulum at Hao.

Yoh's brother still had the upper hand in this setting and stopped the attack with ease. I was trying to stand up and get ready for an attack of my own, but the bastard back handed me with those dream enlarged hands of his and somehow actually knocked me back into my body.

A few seconds later I heard a soft grunt next to me and knew that Ren had been sent back as well. Another few seconds and Lyserg gave a wet cough spitting up a bunch of blood while he was at it. I tried to reach over to help him and was stopped short with searing pain. The bastard actually broke my ribs? How the fuck did he do that?

"Are you okay?" Ren asked me gently and I realized I had just said the last bit aloud. I nodded at him and we both turned at the wheezing sound our host was making.

It took a moment, but we both realized it was laughter. There were tears falling freely from his eyes and he was looking at us with the first smile I'd seen since our arrival.

"Thank you for saving me."

tbc


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you to everyone who has patiently stuck with this story up to this point despite my slow updates. You may be happy to know that your patience will be rewarded. You'll find that the romance part of this story (such as it is) is going to start taking off.

Possession – Chapter 11

x Ren x

I successfully kept my expression neutral while my ribs were being taped up. It's been a while since I had broken anything and consequently I am no longer accustomed to dealing with such pain. I'm willing to admit it hurts a lot more than I remember, but a Tao would never stoop to flinching. Hsst… ouch… it's tempting though. Ancestors, I think I may have gotten soft and it's all that Ainu's fault.

Ten years chasing after that marshmallow head, keeping him out of trouble, cleaning up after his stupid antics, what else could I expect? Not surprising I've turned soft. It's only surprising that my IQ hasn't suffered permanent damage as well. Why on earth do I stay with him?

Oh that's right; I still haven't resolved that ridiculous 'attachment to friends' thing. I really must schedule some time in my PDA to take care of that permanently.

Oh all right, fine! I'm absolutely crazy about the idiot! Whenever I'm away from him for too long my stress and anxiety levels go off the scale. I'm constantly worrying over his safety and happiness, and I would rather spend a year trailing after him and his moronic groupies than go a week without him. Happy now?

Even now I worry about him. I can see his own ribs are hurting him and there is nothing I can do for him. It's an effort to keep myself distracted and avoid doing something foolish like going over and kissing his boo boos better. Which reminds me, I'm going to have to remember to reschedule that beer ad he's in. The photographer would probably have a heart attack the way he looks now.

Ouch. For a doctor Faust is unnecessarily rough with his bandaging. I wasn't one of his corpses. "Tell me why it is again that you are here?" I asked him while he finished with my abuse. "I thought the plan was to keep you and Hao's body well away from here." Instead the necromancer as well as everyone else in the house was crammed into Lyserg's charred master bedroom. I can only guess how it ended up in that state.

"I called him yesterday after our talk and asked him to get himself and Hao here as fast as he could." Yoh explained.

"And why is that?" I asked getting annoyed that at his usual inability to get to the point.

"More importantly, why did you not tell me you had found Hao's body?" Lyserg croaked out; clearly in the most pain of the three of us causing more than a few guilty looks around the room. Yoh opened his mouth to explain but nothing came out and seeing his best friend falter, Manta stepped up to explain.

"It wasn't that we were trying to exclude you, but Hao was always such a sore spot for you we thought you'd be happier if you thought… he was still… dead." His voice trailed off to a whisper as if he realized just how stupid that reasoning sounded right now.

"Yes because I'm so deliriously happy right now." Lyserg spat bitterly, and I knew my expression had nothing to do with my injuries. I saw Horo grimace as well. Unlike the others, we had a far clearer understanding of what the green haired man had endured with Hao inside him. I'm embarrassed to admit it but I think Lyserg is stronger man than I ever gave him credit for.

The simple truth is I don't think I could handle someone twisting my own thoughts against me. Not again. I know I kept up a strong façade when I finally faced my father down but that was more for Jun and the others benefit.

The truth is it nearly crushed me. There were some very real points where I was sure I was going to die, and I was going to die defying my own father. He was immensely strong, twisted and bitter and I know it was the right thing, but he was still my father. What does that say about me? Why does betrayal, even for the right reasons still feel wrong?

I've often wondered the answer to that question. The answer still eluded me while I watched Yoh place his hand on Manta's shoulder.

"I was my fault. I should have told you. I never guessed he would use you."

"What? Didn't you get my messages?" Lyserg cut in over his apology with an extremely hostile glare directed at Anna. The itako stiffened and her face twitched oddly. I could count on one hand the number of times I'd seen that expression on her face. It only ever happened when she was in the wrong and Anna Kyoyama wrong is like Tao Ren flinching. It does not happen.

"Messages?" Yoh asked stupidly. The man may be a good leader, but there were times when he could be impossibly dense. Even Horo could figure this one out. The only thing I couldn't understand was why Anna would keep something like this from Yoh.

Embittered as he was –and I cannot say that I can blame him- Lyserg pushed on. "Oh you didn't get them. What a shock considering I tried calling several times on the first day and at least twice a day since then. That was _three weeks ago_." He finished with a scathing tone.

Three weeks? All eyes including my own watched Anna incredulously. At this point even I couldn't believe she would do such a thing. Aware of everyone watching her she set her jaw at a stubborn angle "You should have said something right away." She retorted.

"I did. You hung up on me."

"You never once mentioned Hao. I would have…" she stopped before she finished her sentence realizing that she had all but admitted that she was deliberately ignoring his messages. I glanced quickly at Lyserg and Yoh.

Strangely, Lyserg seemed more disgusted with Anna than angry, whereas Yoh looked supremely disappointed in her. "Whatever." She huffed and left the room in an effort to save what little face she had left.

I could tell that diminishment in Yoh's eyes hurt her more than she had let on. As Horo has mentioned to me on more than one occasion that I could choke to death on my own pride so I was practically an expert on wounded pride. I also could tell that it would take some effort on her part to restore hers.

The awkward tableau left in Anna's wake was broken when Chocolove let out a very noisy, very wet sounding fart. "Oops. Scuse me."

"Argah! Dude! You're supposed to be looking for the wind of laughter! Not breaking wind!" Horo protested covering his face with his sleeve.

"Indeed." I added, but I knew neither Horo nor l was fooled. We knew he did it on purpose.

There was one time during the shaman tournament when Horo and I were at each other's throats. I can't even remember what the argument was about now but our frustrations had built to point where we were ready to do something we would probably regret later when Choco farted.

Needless to say it totally diffused the situation. Later he admitted to doing it on purpose even though he considered it beneath him because his regular bad jokes wouldn't have worked and hey, everyone laughs at a good fart joke right?

He probably had to force it out, but I knew it was to lighten a very tense scene.

"I can't help it!" he protested to Horo while Choco's spirit ally Mick pretended to keel over dead from the odor "You guys forced me here on a moment's notice! All I've had in the past twenty-four hours was a couple of triple bean burritos, two chili dogs with extra sauerkraut, and some soda. Which reminds me, who's up for waffles?" he asked while several jaws dropped to the floor.

He was answered with a hoarse wheezing from Lyserg. Faust was instantly checking his injuries when they realized he's laughing. "He, he, ow, he, he cough, ow, Choco, don't make me laugh! Cough, ow it hurts!" he wheezed causing laughs and giggles from some of the others. And with that, Choco once again pulled the cork out of all the tension in the room.

Idiot.

As Lyserg's tremors died down he again smiled at Horo and I. "Thank you again for saving me. You have no idea what you managed to save me from."

"I have a pretty good idea." I told him trying to look a little apologetic about catching him in such a position. Watching him ride Hao like a professional jockey was disturbing, while at the same time left me with some very inappropriate ideas about Horo.

"No. You don't. I finally figured out what Hao has been doing to me during my sleep." He explained "He's been using my whole body much like your sister uses her Dao-shi techniques but the problem is I'm not a corpse. My living soul -especially a shaman one- gets in the way of his control which is why he has to wait until I'm asleep."

I and a few of the others nodded in understanding. What he was saying made sense. Lyserg was still alive and his body would naturally follow the will of his living soul. "It would take a great deal of power for the body to listen to the commands of another while it still had a living soul." I said more to myself than anyone else in the room.

"It does, and that's probably one of the reasons why he's not here bothering us right now. He uses up all of his strength trying to get my body to co-operate. However, if he finds a way to get me to agree to his wishes willingly…" he left the idea hanging.

So that was what Hao was doing. Dulling Lyserg's perceptions and seducing him in order to gain better control of him. Although seduction was hardly the term; more rape in a pretty package.

He must have seen my scowl because he gave me a look that almost reminded me of his old, happier self. "Don't be angry, I'm still me. If Hao had succeeded last night, chances are you would all be facing him right now and my spirit would probably be enslaved." He said it with such genuine sincerity that way I had no response. I have never been able to handle compliments or thanks very well. Growing up with constant coldness and criticism stunted most of my social skills so I just nodded in recognition to what he was trying to tell me.

Our host finally turned back to Yoh and gave him a heavy gaze full of meaning. "Ren brings up a good point though. Why did you bring Hao's body here? It would have been safer for all if it was far away from me."

"First, because he already knows we have it, and second, because I'm hoping he'll be more willing to listen to us if he thinks he has a chance of returning to his own body."

"You underestimate him. You always did."

"Actually, I was hoping that maybe seeing it will make him more willing listen to what we have to say." Yoh explained.

"And that is?"

"If Hao wants his body back, he's got to give up his goal to become Shaman King. In this and in any other lifetime. If not," and I watched Yoh pull a pair of carefully crafted jars decorated heavily with paper charms "we will have to banish his soul."

Of course I knew what both of jars were for. When Faust had found Hao as a John Doe laying in a hospital in America we immediately moved him to the necromancer's clinic to keep an eye on him. We also spent several months plotting and planning what we were going to do if he ever woke up. The Asakura's set up a formidable binding spell and I spent a lot of time consulting with the various members of my family (both alive and dead) to make it as unbreakable as possible.

One controlled the pathway for Hao's spirit back to his body. When the spirit is separated from its living body the two are still attached by a silver cord. As Hao had said before, he should have been able to snap right back to his body with a simple tug, but we had put a major obstruction in the way. With his soul trapped outside of his body, and only a portion of his regular spiritual power, they could easily banish his soul to limbo for eternity.

The other jar contained what was left of the Spirit of Fire. Once they found Hao they knew it was crucial to find it. It was his backup storage of power and memories that allowed him to recover anything that might have been lost when he was reincarnated. Unfortunately, they weren't as considerate to it as they were being to Hao and gave it a choice.

It went against the Asakura's teachings about being friends with the spirits, but they couldn't afford to be gentle or friendly with the Spirit of Fire. They knew when they had found it they couldn't allow it to continue to be a power source for Hao. None of them were very proud of what they did to the spirit, and what was in the jar was more like a token gesture to appease their sense of right.

"He won't agree." Lyserg said flatly. "He'll see his body as an acceptable loss."

"Perhaps, but he is still a person and its human instinct to want to live. Maybe since he's lost the tournament in this lifetime he would want to live it out." Yoh responded with an odd look. That was another annoying trait of Yoh's. Ever since the tournament, he's been prone to these smug looks. Like he knows something the rest of us don't. Irritating idiots I'm surrounded by them.

"Yoh have you been using a magic 8 ball to handle your big decisions for you again?" I asked.

"Master Yoh, I'm afraid I have to agree with Master Ren. You should take this more seriously." Amidamaru warned.

"I am." Yoh assured us "That is why I know to do this." The would-be Shaman King picked up the jars and walked over to Lyserg. Mindful of the Englishman's injuries, he placed the jars on the floor near his hip.

"This? What is this?" he asked. I admit I was too shocked to say anything. What in the world was that idiot up to?

"I'm placing the fate of my brother in your hands."

WHAT? "Yoh, can I see you for a moment?" I asked between clenched teeth. It was a good thing I was injured or I would have just gone over there and beat some sense into him.

"Sure!" the jovial response made me clench my teeth harder.

It was a struggle to get up and hobble out of the room and down the stairs, but I wanted to make certain I didn't have any witnesses when I murdered him. Once we were safe from prying eyes, I laid into him.

"Just what the hell do you think your doing? Do you have any idea what you are putting Lyserg through? You are practically inviting Hao to take him over so he can escape! Do you know what he does to get his way?" I yelled. I was truly surprised to see the happy-go-lucky mask fall off and much older and worn Yoh appear. He looked like he'd aged fifty years in five seconds.

"I know, Ren. I was there."

"You what?" I'm fairly certain Yoh was not there in Lyserg's dream, so how could he know?

"Hao and I have always been connected. Any strong thing that happens to him, I can feel. Being this close to him and Lyserg, I saw the same dream you did. But unlike you, it was through Hao's eyes and I had no power to stop it." His eyes pulled away from mine clearly ashamed of his inaction.

"All the more reason not to give the binding spells to Lyserg."

His mouth twisted into a sad smile. "When I was there I caught a hint of something I didn't expect."

"…"

"I think my brother may actually like Lyserg. … In his own way."

tbc


	12. Chapter 12  NEW

Possession – Chapter 12

I was staring at the two jars Yoh gave me when I heard Ren start screaming in Chinese from all the way downstairs. Bason, who had chosen to wait upstairs with Horo, looked scandalized by whatever it was Ren was screaming. Even Horo winced and mumbled comments about recognizing some of the names and even being called some of them.

Apparently Ren wasn't too happy with Yoh giving me the spell jars. Not that I could blame him. I almost dropped them when Horo explained what they were.

How could Yoh do this to me? Did he really think he was bestowing some kind of great honor on me? All he did was give Hao a hand crafted invitation to ruin what was left of my life. I don't know what Ren was yelling at Yoh, but I had a few choice words about the moron myself.

Feeling betrayed, I was tempted to kick everyone the hell out of my house, but Faust interfered with that idea when he gave me something for my pain that made me woozy. "Sleep now my friend." He commanded quietly.

"Buuuut," I slurred trying to warn him that I couldn't sleep because there was no way Hao would ignore a chance like this to take complete control of my body and the jars regardless of how drained he was from last night. The problem was I was starting to see three Fausts and none of them were taking me very seriously.

"Shh do not upset yourself; someone will stay with you while you sleep." He assured me. I would have given him a biting comeback, but I was no longer conscious.

When I woke up the next morning completely unmolested a part of me wasn't certain I wasn't still asleep. I would have bet my entire inheritance that Hao would have visited me while I slept.

Suspicious, I spent the following day on edge waiting for Hao's next attack but it never came. Nor did it come the next day or the day after that. After three weeks of nonstop anger, sarcasm and abuse the sudden quiet was unnerving. I started acting like Hao was going to pop out of every shadow.

I tried my best to distract myself with my preparations to leave town or more preferably the country. You do remember after all, that my body was still guilty of several murders.

Annoyingly, I was the only one who was suffering from the stress because everyone else behaved as if everything were perfectly normal with the exception of Ren and Horo who had begun to subtly flirt with one another. Oh, and Anna. Since my nerves were already stretched beyond their limit, I nearly imploded when she apologized to me.

Yes ladies and gentlemen the first sign of the apocalypse has arrived. Anna 'I am the centre of the universe bow to me' Kyoyama managed to choke up an apology and didn't turn to ash when she did it. Sorry, perhaps that was a little rude. I warned you my nerves are a little stretched right?

I was boxing up a few personal items that I figured I might like to keep. Chances were high that it would be years if ever, that I could return home again so I needed to travel light. I'd have to find someplace to store these until I found a place to live. I was hoping maybe Ren or Yoh would take them for me when I felt her behind me.

"He trusts you far too much." She said quietly. "Yoh has always been too quick to trust."

Was she suggesting that I was going to betray Yoh again? If she was then she could go to hell. Ignoring her I kept packing.

"You hurt him the last time you left him. I was just trying to protect him."

I snorted at that. "Protect him from what exactly? The only one in any danger here is me."

"You confuse him."

"What in God's name it there to be confused about? Yoh, could you please help me stop your supposedly dead brother from using me as a murder weapon, slash punching bag, slash sex toy! Tell me what part of that is confusing?!" I yelled at her not caring if the others heard. Why should I be the only one with no dignity or pride left?

If I was any other person under any other circumstance I'm sure she would have tried to clock me one. I admit a part of me wanted her to, just to test whether or not I would go against my rule of not hitting girls. Instead she hit me with something I wasn't ready for.

"I apologize." She said so quietly I barely heard it. "I had mistakenly thought your reasons were more personal and I thought I was protecting Yoh."

The apology was said with such formality and such humility –a so very un-Anna like state- that my anger just went into a tailspin and crashed. Rubbing my face in my palms I struggled to find something to say.

"Protecting him from what Anna? My feelings?" I asked tiredly. "Despite everything you do to him, Yoh cares about you. No matter how crappy you treat him, he always comes back to you."

Anna just looked at me like I'd sprouted a second head and I was tempted to roll my eyes. Was she that clueless about how abrasive a person she was?

"Look, if you don't mind a free piece of advice, learn to smile once and a while."

"Impossible, Yoh is a natural born slacker. If I let up on his training, he would spend his days lounging around eating junk food and listening to music."

I couldn't help but chuckle knowing that was partly true. "You're right Anna, he is a slacker and there will be times where you have to still crack the whip at him, but he is older and more responsible than you give him credit for. Try just being nice to him every once and a while." When she still didn't look like she got it, I added "Honestly, if it were me, I'd want the guy marrying me to _want_ to marry me. Not just because I bullied him into it."

It was sad really, watching her skin turn pale and her back stiffen. It was then that I realized that in her own way she cared deeply for Yoh but she lacked the confidence and social skills to show it. To her it seemed perfectly logical to keep Yoh in a permanent strangle hold than to trust his feelings for her.

Finishing my packing I picked up the box and walked out, but as I passed her I told her quietly "Yoh will always come back to you, but if you showed him you cared he'd come back quicker. Try something small like… smiling."

How the heck did I end up as a relationship counselor? First Ren and Horo, now Yoh and Anna. Stupid really considering I was having sex with the ghost of the man who killed my parents. I was probably the least qualified person in the hemisphere.

Anyway, back to my original problem of Hao ignoring me.

You'd think I would have been thrilled by it, but after a few days without him I was getting pretty twitchy so I decided to finally go visit where Faust was keeping his body.

And that's where I finally found him. He was staring at the frail shell that was supposed to be his body with an odd mixture of contempt and longing.

At first I didn't even notice Hao's spirit was even there. I was too busy gaping at the bed and the frail and sickly figure in it.

Immediately I could see that his overall frame had grown, but that was about the only thing that did grow. The rest of his body looked like it had remained stagnant. It looked as if his skin, muscle and other soft tissues were stretched to their limits and barely fit over the larger structure giving him a bizarre, underdeveloped, skeletal look. Honestly, if anyone wanted to check his internal organs, they wouldn't have to x-ray him. They could just hold him up to the light. He was that thin.

His skin was this hideous paste color that I never would have believed a person of Japanese decent could achieve. It was certainly a big contrast to Yoh's caramel tinted skin that glowed from the inside with health and vitality.

The saddest part was his hair. As we all know Hao is not my most favorite person, but on a purely aesthetic level even I have to admit he's beautiful in his own cruel way. He is after all Yoh's twin. Now having said that even I will admit that I was disturbed to see those gorgeous locks gone and a short spiky mess left in its place.

On a practical level I understood that his new look would be easier to for the hospital staff care for, but my mind kept wandering back to my sex dreams with Hao and how it felt to run my fingers through that black silk mass.

Seeing Hao like this was extremely anticlimactic, if not a little sad. There was nothing powerful or intimidating about the man lying on the bed. No matter which angle I used or how long I stared, it was almost impossible to recognize the person lying there as Yoh's twin let alone the great Hao Asakura.

"I bet you find this quite hilarious don't you?" Hao spat acidly. For a guy that could read minds, he was doing a particularly bad job of it. Hilarious? Not even close. Nothing about this situation was even the tiniest bit funny. All in all it was pathetic, and it made me feel pathetic.

I had spent the bulk of my life with the shadow of Hao hovering over me both before and after the tournament. In truth, I realized I had let my experience with Hao permanently stain me. I let his existence taint everything in my life. Obviously possessed as I was that statement was more true and literal now, but I couldn't blame him for the things that had happened in the interim.

When I was a child I had dreamed to be a detective like my father. It was the only thing I'd ever wanted. After Hao, I was too afraid and ashamed to be one. Instead, I just dabbled on a part time basis.

I had never bothered making any real friends after the tournament. I never let myself get close to anyone. Acquaintances came and went in my life like passing seasons. Other than Benny, Yoh and the others are the closest thing I have to true friends and I hadn't spoke to them in years. True, Anna's strangle hold was partly to blame for that but I didn't try very hard either.

While I stared at the fragile person lying in a coma before me I let my mind sift through countless points of my life watching how I'd let my fear and shame effect everything I did. Hao made me an enraged orphan, but I was the one who kept me there.

Watching the barely perceptible rise and fall of the patient's chest I felt incredibly stupid. Seeing him like this was like finding out the scary boogey man in your closet was just the ugly sweater your aunt knitted you for Christmas. I knew of course that Hao was still a very real threat. I had the scars to prove it, but now he seemed lesser.

If anything I might even be bold enough to say I pitied him lying there, helpless, dependant on the care of others. As I moved so I could sit and get a closer look at him I ignored Hao's spiritual presence much to his annoyance.

At this close range I could see the potential beauty in the man. His cheekbones and jaw line were strong and wouldn't look quite so harsh with a little weight to fill them out. I could easily imagine his full lips that were currently slack moving in the shape of Yoh's quick smile or Hao's condescending smirk. I wonder what kind of person he would have been if Hao had not dragged his ambitions into this life?

Unable to restrain myself I reached out and ran my fingers through the black mess of hair to see if it was a soft as it was in my dreams. It was soft, if a little greasy from lack of washing recently. I was just starting to think about mentioning to Faust that he could probably use a bath when a hand gripped around my throat and carried me across the room. I hit the wall with a slam that had me seeing stars for a moment but when my eyes cleared, they focused on the very livid spirit of Hao.

"Don't touch him!" he shrieked into my face. I couldn't hear his thoughts the entire time I was in the room until he had touched me. Even then his thoughts were a jumbled mess of anger, confusion, vulnerability and a few others that wouldn't hold still long enough for me to identify them.

It was a surprise really. As far as I knew of never in history had Hao been as uncontrolled as he was now. Why would the sight of one sickly coma patient unhinge him so? It's not like he would be jealous of me touching another man.

And then it all made sense. This was probably the first real time Hao had experienced real mortality.

Sure, he'd been dead a few times before, but until now death was more like a minor set back in his grander plans. This was the first time he had to truly contemplate the end of his existence. He had most likely never seen any of his previous bodies this fragile and helpless unless you count the times he was an infant. But even those times he had the spirit of fire and his own power to compensate. Now he had nothing.

"What are you afraid of Hao? That I'll hurt him?" I asked blandly, "What does it matter anymore? You _are_ going to be banished and he _will_ die." I said emphasizing the inevitably of his situation Still, it felt a little weird talking about Hao's body like it was a third person and that I was going to kill him. My eyes flickered back to the coma patient. I guess it was pretty silly of me to think about bathing someone who would be dead soon.

Hao must have caught my look, but instead of slamming me into the wall again, he pressed his spectral lips to mine and forced me into a dream/vision.

In the dream he took further advantage of his power to crush me to him. The part that surprised me the most was he didn't try to subdue my consciousness this time. Instead, he tried to get me to co-operate willingly.

A flood of impressions were filling me while he was kissing me with as much passion and intensity as he had ever shown in my dreams. Some of the impressions were so strong they could almost have been words.

_Want me._

_Need me._

_Desire me._

_Love me._

Even though he was allowing my mind its freedom of choice the weight of his mind on mine was enough to make my knees buckle. He was trying to get me to adore him like his usual followers by sheer force of will. He wanted me to worship him as the demi-god they saw him as and not the monster he truly was.

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I was close to caving in then. Not because of the pressure he was smothering me with. If it was just that I'm sure I could have brushed him off eventually. It has his kiss that almost did me in.

As much as I hate Hao it seems that my body had no qualms responding to him and all of his passion and intensity that I mentioned before. Even if it was only in dreams, my traitorous body easily recognized the best lover I had ever come across. It knew instinctively what pleasure he could bring me to regardless of what it did to my psyche.

Like an addict who didn't care if they were about to inject themselves with a lethal dose of heroine I dove into the kiss letting my tongue wrestle with his. I was on the verge of submitting to his will when he spoke. Perhaps it was my eager response that made him think I had already given in otherwise he wouldn't have acted prematurely.

"Return me to my body. I could make you my consort. An honor I have denied countless others. We could be lovers in the truest sense." He promised while moving his lips from my mouth to my ear. "You know how good it would be."

Ugh, I suppose for someone like Hao who is used to people kowtowing to him granting me position as his number one servant counted as a grand seduction for him. Fortunately for me I still had too much pride and morality left in me to accept such a repulsive offer.

Shoving him off me I found myself slammed back into my physical body which was aching with lust. It took a moment to clear my head and get my eyes tried to focus on the rooms occupants. Surprisingly it wasn't Hao and his body. Rather it was Hao's body, Faust and Eliza. The latter pair was staring at me with rather surprised expressions and I felt my cheeks flush with renewed shame.

"Ar-are you alright?" Faust asked cautiously. I can only imagine what I looked like making out with air. If a person could die of shame I already would have been on the floor.

Tearing my gaze away, "H-H-Hao was tr-trying t-to get me to l-let h-him go." I stammered too mortified to meet their eyes. Eliza, who was such a dedicated nurse in life, seemed to feel obligated to ease my pain. Instead of leaving me to wallow in my humiliation she drifted over to me and positioned herself right in front of my nose so I would have no choice but to look at her.

When I finally did she gave me a kind, gentle and understanding smile that neither judged me nor accused me. I didn't think it was possible for me to ever recover but her smile did ease some of my discomfort. I almost understood why Faust was so obsessive about her. Almost. The smell of her floral perfume didn't quite mask the smell of decay she gave off. Maybe Faust was immune to it.

Not wanting to say anything to make me feel worse, I gave one last look at the man I was about to kill imprinting him in my memory, and left.

TBC

The next chapter is already written it will be up as soon as it is edited!


	13. Chapter 13 NEW

Possession – Chapter 13

I spent the rest of the day in my room staring at the jars contemplating what was going to happen the next day. I don't know if Faust had called and given anyone a heads up about what happened next to Hao's sickbed, but they all seemed to know at a glance that tomorrow would be the end of Hao and that we would all be leaving after.

Peering closely at the spell jar that barred Hao's return to his body I went over the procedure again in my mind. I'm not sure why I bothered. It was pretty basic. Literally all I needed to do was break the jar.

To put it simply the jar acted like a gateway for a spirit to return to its body. Like any gate it could be either opened or closed. Currently it was closed, but when I broke it, the gate would be open and the spirit would naturally spring back to its body.

However in our case, when the jar broke the paper charms all over it would be activated to trap and banish the spirit on its return trip to its body. Simple really, a monkey could do the job. So why was Yoh making me do it?

Maybe he couldn't bring himself to kill Hao again. That was easy to believe. Maybe he thought I would be the most willing to do it given the peaceful nature of the others. That was also easy to believe.

Then why did I feel like something was off? Like there was a catch no one was telling me? When I asked everyone assured me that all that would be required of me would be to break the jar and then everyone could return to their normal lives. Well, except for me who would have to leave the country for being a murder weapon.

A soft knock drew my attention away from my questions. Without me even bothering to answer, Yoh poked his head around the door. "Lyserg? Can I talk to you for a moment?"

I can't say I was pleased to see him standing in my doorway. I still hadn't completely forgiven him for not telling me he knew his brother could come back or for dumping the responsibility of his death on me. Still, I nodded to him allowing him to speak.

Grinning openly he strode forth and plopped down next to me. Strangely I noticed my insides didn't jitter madly when he was close anymore. I guess this whole ordeal had cured me of my little crush on him.

"Thanks, I thought I'd hide out here for a while. Anna's acting strangely so I thought it would be better if I just kept out of her way. Did you know she smiled at me this morning? Scary. Then she went and did while some of the guys were around and made Ryu faint!" he announced in an awed voice. "So, have you decided where you're going to go yet?" he asked cheerfully.

Not feeling up to talking back, I just shook my head no. If Yoh was upset by my lack of interest in the conversation he didn't show it.

"Well I'm sure my family would love to have you come by the temple and of course you're welcome by the inn anytime!" he continued.

Che, right. Just because Anna and I had called a truce didn't mean she wouldn't slam the door in my face if I showed up.

Deciding I better say something before he made any other wild suggestions, "There are a few places I thought I'd like to see, but I have no permanent plans." I said not caring about the flat impersonal tone in my voice.

The tone made him slump his shoulders a bit, but he still kept his smile in place. "Hey that sounds cool! I've been thinking of doing something like that as well! You know, like how we were during the tournament, just us and the open road? When I listen to Ryu or Horo and Ren talk about all of the places they've been I can't help but think 'Man that would be so cool!' but I know Anna would probably kill me."

"Anna would only let you go if she was with you and there were first class accommodations involved." I agreed. Actually, after I said that I realized that wasn't entirely true. I mean she did travel with Yoh to see me and she only complained once maybe twice a day.

Yoh's cheerful façade lasted another few moments before it crumbled. As soon as it did I felt an enormous surge of emotions come through my new mental capabilities. The onslaught of emotion made my breath lodge in my throat.

Yoh was like a tightly bottled up vessel of sadness, guilt, pain, regret and loneliness brought on by the weight of his responsibilities. At this moment he was a far cry from the kid who wanted to be Shaman King so he could live a carefree life doing whatever he wished. He tilted his head so that most of his face was obscured by hair "I'm sorry Lyserg." He muttered quietly. "I'm sorry for not telling you about Hao and his body, I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me and I'm sorry that I'm making you responsible for his future."

That brought up a question I had wanted to ask. "Why would you do that? How could you give me those spell jars?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated "I know Hao is my responsibility, but I just don't have the strength to kill him again and I think he knows it."I nodded remembering how hard it had been on him the first time. "I wanted to give him one last chance, to try and get him to finally stop trying to kill off all humans in exchange for his freedom but I doubt he'd take any threats from me very seriously."

"And that's where you need me. Because he knows I will kill him." I finished and he nodded. There was more, I could tell Yoh was hiding something else from me but his mind was too difficult for someone of my inexperience to read clearly.

"Somehow I just know he will listen to you and you'll make the right decision." He said smiling weakly.

"Decision? What is there to decide Yoh? Your brother will never agree to live an ordinary life. Just this morning he offered…" I cut off too embarrassed to mention the offer to make me his consort. "He is going to die." I finished.

Waiving his hand as if my declaration was not important, "Well either way I came here to apologize and to let you know you don't have to do this alone. The others and I all plan to be with you to help."

At that point Anna barged in and asked/told Yoh they were going shopping for dinner. She tried to do it with a smile that looked more like a bearing of fangs than anything else. I'll have to give her some tips on smiling.

* * *

After the confrontation by Hao's hospital bed and after my little talk with Yoh I wasn't the least bit surprised to see Hao in my dreams. I wasn't afraid this time though because I knew he couldn't possess my body without the others knowing. As for what else he could do in my dreams… well I'd deal with that when the time came.

I could tell instantly that his mind wasn't as serene as his expression was. He'd aged his dream appearance to look more like Yoh or more accurately what he figured he would look like if he still had his body. His troubled thoughts however made it difficult for him to keep it consistent. From time to time his hair would flicker to the short mess that his body currently had to the long hair he was used to, or sometimes it would be Yoh's length which was in between the two.

"Let me go." He demanded simply

Raising my eyebrow at him "You're kidding right? You don't really think that I would let you go free do you?"

"Even if I agree to Yoh's terms?"

I laughed at that even though I didn't find it very funny. "You can't possibly believe that I would ever believe you would just give up your master plan after a millennium of plotting."

Hao's shoulders slumped in a direct reflection of Yoh's earlier. "I'm tired Lyserg." He said and I have to admit, at that moment I was almost convinced he was with the unusual defeated pose.

"Tired of what exactly? Tired of terrorizing people? Of murder? Of getting your butt kicked in the end?" I asked bitterly then regretted it. It was childish baiting Hao at a time when he actually seemed to be willing to have a person to person talk. Normally for him it was a divine being to lowly inferior sub-species.

"Look around you Lyserg, it's too late. I wasn't able to save the earth from the humans." He said and the dreamscape changed to show familiar scenes of pollution that occurred every day but were blind to. "Every time I tried to save the world, fate has designed a way to thwart me." A tiny crease appeared between his brows and I could feel his confusion at his constant failures. At that moment I could truly tell that in his mind he really did feel like he was doing the right thing by plotting to remove ordinary humans from the earth.

"Humans are the Earth's children Hao. Even if they are unruly and disobedient no parent is ever going to stand by and let you kill off her children. I've told you before you were not put here to get rid of them. You were here to teach them. To guide them like a much older, more experience sibling would."

The eyes that looked back at me reflected a millennium of struggle and failure. "But it's too late now. The Earth is dying. Can't you feel it?"

"Maybe, maybe not. It is possible that humans will kill themselves off before that, but you will not be around to see it." I responded earning a rather peculiar look from my foe. "No Hao." I said before he tried to ask me to spare his life again.

I'll admit after my visit to the hospital and how pathetic he looked now I was feeling a twinge of pity towards him but not enough to trust or forgive him. I'd have to be the most gullible idiot on the planet to just forgive and forget and not believe he would try anything sneaky.

I wasn't even surprised to find him proving my suspicions right a second later.

Without batting an eyelash he changed tactics. Gone was the woe-is-me-I'm-so-misunderstood Hao and in its place was seduction Hao.

"Are you so certain?" he asked. In the space between the words 'so' and 'certain' he was instantly behind me. His mouth so close to my left ear I could feel his breathing.

"I meant the other things I said you know." he continued, and began nuzzling the sensitive part of my neck. "We could be together. You can't deny it would be great." He whispered, and my own body reacted like a compass pointing north no matter how much I tried to stop it.

I could tell he was aware if my physical reaction by his husky laugh and the way he invited his hands along to fondle and touch as they pleased. I was so ashamed of myself right then I wanted to die. How? How could he do this to me? Why was I letting him? Was I really so lonely and so desperate that I would have sex with the most evil bastard I knew just because it would be great sex?

I want to say that I'm above such things that I would never sacrifice my pride or dignity for anything. I want to say that I shoved Hao off me like I did in the hospital room and then proceeded to beat him to a pulp. Instead I did none of that.

Why? Because I _am_ lonely, and it _is_ greatsex hell, it's spectacular, earth moving, mind blowing sex! And Hao was going to die soon anyway, and… well… in the end I am a guy. And the truth is, guys really only do think about sex. And I wanted it damn it!

Spinning in his arms I latched my mouth onto his and kissed him fiercely. I could tell he was momentarily surprised but he delved into the kiss as well. Eventually we pulled apart by a fraction and both of us were breathing heavily at each other.

"Change of heart lover? I never would ha-"

"Shut up Hao." I interrupted. "Spare me your empty promises or your lies. Don't bother wasting my time asking for your life back or trying to reason with me. If you want sex, then let's do it, but don't talk to me."

"Or what?" he asked teasingly "You'll stop? We both know you want this as much as I do. Maybe even more."

"Shut up." I demanded and grabbed fistfuls of his currently short hair and crushed his mouth to mine again.

Hao didn't waste any more effort talking. Instead he just used his influence to change the scene so we were both lying naked next to the same waterfall fed spring that we first made love by.

What happened next I'm not going to tell you, but it was like we were both trying to store up a lifetime's worth or memories in that one night. Enough for me and my murky future. Enough for Hao for his eternity of banishment.

I woke up earlier than the others the next morning. Waking up in… err… messy blankets and sore… parts… will do that. Despite my discomfort, I woke up with my mind was clearer than it had been in weeks, months even.

Lying in bed with my new found clarity I knew what I had to do. I had to be the one to finish Hao I needed to do it alone and I needed to do it right away. Even with everyone asleep, their spirit allies didn't need sleep so I snuck out of my window and almost broke my leg in the process. I also managed to limp my way past the hospital staff. Most of them were too tired from just getting off the graveyard shift to notice me.

After all of that I don't suppose I should have been surprised to see Hao's spirit in his room waiting for me. What did surprise me was the calmness of his expression like a death row inmate accepting the inevitable. He didn't bother with any words or attempts to subvert me anymore.

We stared at each other for a moment and then I broke off pulling the stuff out of the bag I'd brought with me. The first thing I did was pull out four talismans and attach them to the walls. This created a rather effective barrier sealing us in the room. Neither one of us would be leaving until this was done.

Next I pulled out the imprisoned spirit of fire and set it aside. Last I carefully picked up the spell jar. Strange isn't it that I would show such care to something I intended to smash?

Anyway I was as ready as I was ever going to be and I looked up at Hao who seemed to steel himself for what was about to happen when a noise at the door made both of us jump.

Hao looked over at the barrier guarded door that someone was clearly trying to get through. "It's the nurse making her rounds." He murmured looking irritated at the interruption of his death. Then he looked at me "She's going to call others, you don't have much time."

"Are you ready?" I asked grimly and he nodded in response.

"Of all the people to kill me it should be you. I know you still don't believe me, but I am sorry. And… I do… care about you." he finished lamely.

Knowing it was probably some last trick of his I wanted to say 'You're right Hao I don't believe you.' but instead I just nodded noncommittally.

Taking a deep breath "Good by Hao." I said and let go of the jar.


	14. Chapter 14 NEW

Possession - Chapter 14

The sound of the jar shattering against the tile floors resonated inside of me and at once I felt something being ripped from me. The sudden loss of Hao's spirit left me dizzy and breathless and made my eyes tear up.

I looked up dazedly to where Hao's spirit was hovering a moment before as if expecting him to still be there only see there was no one there now. I then gazed down at my hands and the shards on the floor. It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at but then my knees gave out and I dropped to them miraculously missing the sharpest pieces.

By now the nurse had brought others and they were beginning to bang viciously on the door but I ignored that. I wasn't even aware I had begun to cry until I felt moisture on my clenched fists.

_Mother, Father, forgive me _I wailed inside my head while bawling like a baby.

I had no idea how long I stayed like that, but I remained that way until Yoh finally broke through my awareness.

"Lyserg? Are you there?" he asked tentatively and I could tell from his tone that he and the other people in the room had already made several attempts to talk to me.

"Yoh?" I croaked. My throat felt like I'd tried to cough up nails while I was crying.

My friend looked at me with a sad expression. "Why didn't you wait for us? Why didn't you let us say goodbye?" he asked which made me take better notice of the room's occupants. None of the guys were there. Instead it was Yoh, his parents, grandparents and Anna.

Regardless of what Hao had put all of them through they still saw him as a family member and it broke my heart to see them grieving for him again.

Clearing my throat and hastily wiping my nose -which had been running down my face- with the back of my hand I shook my head at Yoh. "You don't understand Yoh." I whispered harshly to him and opened my clenched fists at him.

Lying in my right hand was a piece of the binding sutra that would trap Hao's spirit. In my left hand was the whole banishment charm with the exception of a small corner.

"I- I couldn't do it!" I stuttered and started sobbing again. Unfortunately in that state I couldn't explain to them how I couldn't stop my hands from trying to snatch the jar back as it began to fall. Instead I just kept muttering "I tried but I couldn't" brokenly over and over. Eventually Yoh's mother replaced him and she grabbed me in a hug. I don't know what surprised me more, that she travelled this far away from her temple, that she whispered 'thank you' in my ear or that she was hugging me. Either way it snapped me out of the bulk of my stupor enough for me to stand up.

"I should go." Said gazing blearily around the room.

"Are you sure?" Yoh asked. "Are you sure you don't have anything you want to say to him?"

I looked at Yoh like he had taken complete leave of his senses. It was then I realized he knew. He knew what it had taken me almost killing Hao to figure out.

I cared for him. Hell, in my own stupid way I was probably even falling for him. The guy was a twisted, abusive, egomaniac jerk and I for some unbelievable reason had feelings for him. Well, I've always had feelings for him but these new ones had nothing to do with hate or the need for revenge.

I couldn't even begin to comprehend how sick and pathetic I was. Hell, people would have to remake the scale to measure how sick and pathetic I really was.

I gave the comatose patient in the bed one last look. He certainly didn't look any better now that his soul was returned. "No, he's your family. I'm sure you know how best to deal with him." I mumbled and fled the room before I could say or do anything else.

* * *

_Why the hell was here?_

I let that question circle my brain for the billionth time while butterflies the size of buffalos jittered around in my stomach. I stood there looking up at The Funbari Inn so nervous that I was visibly shaking.

Ever since I left Hao's hospital room eight months ago I've been continuously on the move. Running from what exactly I don't know. Probably this moment right here.

Over the past few months I had been steadily travelling east wards. I travelled most of Europe moving to Africa then India avoiding anyone having anything close to shaman powers. When I passed through China the Tao's were scattered liberally across my path. I had no idea there were so many Taos. It took most of my skill and ingenuity to avoid them. If it weren't for all of them wearing their hair in that ridiculous point (don't tell Ren I said that okay?) I would have had a great deal of trouble spotting them.

After that experience, I gave Horo's home a wide berth. Neither Ren nor Horo were home of course which is lucky, because I would never have been able to dodge someone of their strength as easily as I did the others. I already knew the pair was in Australia according to the last sports broadcast I saw about them. I also saw that there was some recent speculation on the nature of their relationship and if it was all business.

I couldn't help but smile about that. Go Horo. I knew you could do it. I wonder if they are lovers yet or if they're still in the early dating and experimentation phase?

Thinking about them got me to thinking about my own lover and my smile immediately left. How could he still have so much pull on me? I haven't seen or heard from him in months, yet I still thought about him constantly.

There were times when I would lie in bed and I'd want him so much my whole body ached with my need. Other times I'd be curled in a ball as if I was trying to hide from the shame of wanting him.

So that brings me to here. The last place on earth I wanted to be. Well except for the Asakura temple because I was sure that Hao was there under the care and watch of his family.

Giving myself a shake, _No, I'm just going to stop in and say hello. Ask how Hao… ask how **everyone** is doing then leave. Good. Calm. Cool. Controlled. Deep breath, smile. Remember my life is good, I'm happy._

"You're never going to get to see anyone if you stand out here all day." Ryu said from behind me.

"Gah!" I screamed nearly jumping out of my skin. "Ryu! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Ryu raised an eyebrow at me "Are you sure? The way I hear it you are quite fond of sneaking."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked casually, knowing he probably meant my unwillingness to talk to the Tao clan or the Ainu tribe. Instead of answering his expression took on a fanatical gleam.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" he shrieked. "I must introduce you to someone special!" he reached behind him and yanked some poor person to him.

"Lyserg! I want you to meet my _girlfriend._ Tao Mei Lan." He announced. But the way he said girlfriend was like someone introducing a God. Poor Ryu, he was going to scare the girl off with that kind of scary adoration and clinginess.

Wait, did he say Tao?

Looking closer I saw a rather striking young woman with her hair pinned in classic Tao fashion. Odder still was that she didn't seem adverse to the intensity of Ryu's affection. If anything she seemed to be as cold and emotionally obtuse as Ren and the rest of the Taos. It probably took all of Ryu's intensity just for her to see that the man was interested.

Now I felt like an intruder on their private time.

"Is Yoh in?" I asked nodding in the direction of the house.

Ryu grimaced at me not happy that I didn't want to stand there and listen to spout the praises of his girlfriend all day long. "Yes. He should be in the kitchen right about now since it is his turn to cook dinner." I muttered my thanks and offered a small bow to Mei Lan before jogging towards the house.

At the door, I tried knocking, but no one answered. Then I remembered the kitchen was at the back of the house and if Yoh had his headphones on there was no way he would hear me so I boldly let myself in and made my way to the kitchen.

Sure enough, Yoh was there trying to convince the rice cooker to not explode on him. "No! Stop you stupid machine! What is with these things that they don't work?" he yelled to it and himself while rice just continued to spew forth from it like a fountain.

I laughed at the sight some things never change. After all this time he still hadn't learned how to cook? Anna was going to kill him.

My laugh alerted him to my presence and he just turned around and stared at me in shock forgetting that the rice cooker behind him was redecorating the kitchen.

After a few moments of his staring I started to feel a bit uncomfortable. "I'm sorry I barged in. I did try to knock and the door was open. I hope you don't mind." He babbled nervously. Something was wrong here but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Lyserg?" he whispered harshly. My whole world tilted on axis at that one word. There was only one person who said my name with that inflection.

"Hao?" I asked incredulously.

Looking closer I could see the differences now. This person was still too thin and to pale to be Yoh. Although he'd grown out his hair so it was the same length as his brother there was still and overall appearance of not being quite as healthy as him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I was just hoping to see Yoh." I explained. Trying to control the flutter of emotions I was feeling and hoping he couldn't see how much his presence was affecting me.

"Yoh?" he asked irritably. "When will you get it through your head he isn't interested in you? It just so happens that he and Anna have begun planning their wedding."

"They are? Oh. Good" I said hollowly. The sudden offensive tone and his assumption that I still wanted Yoh caught me a bit off guard and I couldn't respond appropriately. "I guess Anna got the hang of smiling." I muttered.

"What are you talking about?"

"Didn't come here for that, I just came to make sure he was doing okay." _That you were doing okay_ I said in my head forgetting that Hao could probably hear it.

"So you are not here for Yoh."

"No."

"And you are happy that he is marrying Anna."

"Yes. Well if he is happy then yes. I told Anna Yoh would like her more if she smiled."

"Then why are you really here?"

"I told you I wanted to make sure he was doing okay."

"You mean with me around." he added darkly.

"No! I thought you would be with the rest of your family."

That caused him a bit of pause before he continued. "I was with them for a while. At least until I could control my power enough to get around."

Now I was really confused. What did he mean controlling his power? Hao had enough power to create fifty elite shamans with extra to spare. "What do you mean?" I asked.

He gave me an annoyed look. "I mean it seems you got your wish after all. Asakura Hao is dead."

"WHAT?" he chuckled grimly at my stupid expression.

"It means that my spirit transfer was not a smooth one. You managed to tear the charm in such a way that most of my power was lost. I barely have a third of what I had before and most of that I need to use to keep my body moving."

"Keep your body moving?" I sounded like a mentally impaired parrot.

"What did you think a coma patient that's been immobile for years could just jump up and run around? You saw my body it was almost atrophied I didn't even have the muscle tone to sit up. The only reason I'm able to stand here is because my power is aiding my muscles."

"So you're not… you can't…" I didn't know what I was trying to say. Was he trying to tell me he had virtually no power?

He snorted at me "Spirit of Fire!" he called and I was shocked he would even try to summon his destructive spirit until I saw what answered his call.

It was a small red spirit orb about the size of a golf ball that made whooshing and crackling noises like one would hear next to campfire.

By this point I was speechless. I had already known that Yoh and the others had found, trapped and stripped the Spirit of Fire of all the spiritual energy it had stolen from other spirits over the years but even then it should still have been a formidable spirit. With Morphine I knew better than anyone else that little didn't mean weak, but even to my eyes this just looked like a very ordinary, even weak elemental spirit. Without Hao's strength bolstering its own the little fire spirit reverted back to its most basic form.

"Do you see now?" he asked snidely. "I am just as pathetically weak as everyone else. Now tell me again why you were here."

"I told you already…"

"Yes, to see Yoh. But I don't think that's quite true. Is it? You came here to check up on me." He asked, his tone dripping with smug superiority.

"How could I do that? I didn't even know you were here." I answered defensively.

"I suppose I could believe that, except" he paused in his mocking to move closer to me "you're blushing." He finished while raising his palm to cup my cheek.

Damn it I was tempted to lean into the touch and close my eyes. It's almost amazing that a loser like me managed to come up with a retort at all. "Hao you were in my body for years, I was the one who failed to kill you, I think that places some responsibility of your well being to me. There is nothing wrong with me making sure you haven't taken up your old habits again." I said; relieved my voice didn't betray the turmoil I felt with him so near and touching me.

Hao gave a husky chuckle "Liar." he said moving his body closer. In defense I tried to back away from him only to step into the mushy rice mess all over the floor. My foot slipped on the mess and I clutched at the nearest solid surface which happened to be Hao.

He must have been using his power to stay up because when I grabbed at him with both hands and continued to fall nose first into his chest he remained as immovable as a statue. "You just can't keep your hands off me can you?" he asked, clearly amused at the way I was clinging to him for dear life.

Failing to find the situation as funny as he did I got to my feet quickly and tried to let go of him but as soon as I did he gripped my arms and stopped me from moving further. By now I didn't care if my nervousness showed I was terrified of what I felt he was going to next even though I wanted him to.

Pulling me closer he murmured "Lyserg." against my mouth before he kissed me deeply.

At first I couldn't move. I tried to tell myself that I didn't want what Hao was giving and then it hit me. This was my first real kiss with Hao making me loose all reservations. I looped both arms around him and dove head first into the kiss.

You know, it's true that dream kisses are different. In the dream they were clean and perfect and completely free of awkwardness. Real kisses were definitely wetter. After all, only in a dream can you have someone thrusting their tongue in your mouth repeatedly and not feel like you have to wipe your face afterwards. I also noticed the feel of his stubble the smell of his body and breath, the taste of his mouth. None of which were in my dream before.

I suppose on a clinical level that sounds pretty disgusting, but it was totally enthralled by it.

Hao groaned into my mouth and changed his hold so one hand was behind my neck and the other was at my waist pulling me completely flush with him. Our little impromptu make out session was getting hotter by the second and if it continued for much longer, I would be on my back in a pile of soggy rice.

Fortunately and much to my embarrassment a very loud cough distracted us enough for me to pull away. I turned around and was horrified so see not only Yoh and Anna, but all of my friends down to and including Jun, Pirika and Tamao watching.

Just what I always wanted, to make a complete ass of myself in front of everyone I knew. Didn't I do that enough during the tournament? Thankfully most of them managed not to roll around on the floor with hysterics although it was clear some were trying hard to keep their faces straight.

"So," Yoh began cheerfully "does this mean you're staying?"

Just as I was starting to say "Maybe." Hao spoke over me saying "Yes." This earned him a glare from me. What was he thinking? Here I was just trying to come to terms with trying to have a relationship with him and he was already taking control? I was a hair's breadth from changing my mind and calling the whole thing off when Anna stopped me.

"Well that's a relief. If I had to listen to him moping one more day about you I would have had to ship him back to his parents."

My eyebrows shot up to my hair and my mouth hung open like a fish out of water. "What?" I asked, and then I looked back at Hao who was… oh my god! Was he blushing? Can he blush?

"Anna." He growled but she didn't look the least bit afraid.

"Wait! Whoa! What? What is happening here?" my gaze was moving through the faces around me like a pinball. Finally I focused on Hao. "You missed me?"

"He's been looking for you from the moment he awoke from his coma. The only reason he's here is because he knew you would show up sooner or later. And now he's ruined my kitchen." Anna huffed looking terribly inconvenienced.

Hao didn't say anymore. Just turned around and began cleaning the rice off of the floor. I was going to help him but the others swarmed me and by the time I could break away to help he was long gone. After some searching I found him on the balcony looking up at the stars.

I was going to say something deep and meaningful, but what came out of me was "You missed me?"

"You said it yourself. We were joined for years, we had a bond." He answered not looking at me.

Che, now who was the liar? Feeling a bit more confident I strode over to him, held his face in my palms and planted a brief but solid on his mouth.

"Asakura Hao, tell me the truth! How do you feel about me?"

Looking at me with and expression that looked as vulnerable as the time when we were talking over his comatose body I felt something pull painfully in my chest.

"I meant what I said before. I want us to be together."

"Why? Why me?"

He laughed bitterly "You don't know how many times I've asked myself that. The truth is I've never had a lover who wasn't attracted to me because of my power. If anything you were repelled by it but you still wanted me. You wanted me for me yet you continually punished yourself for it. Your desire for me was so pure; somehow it just drew me in. I couldn't resist it."

He took my hands in his and was rubbing the backs with his thumbs. "Be with me Lyserg. Be with me and I will keep my promise to give up my shaman only world." He vowed.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise, but for the record I was going to stay with you anyway."

Owari

Whew! I can't believe I finally got this one done! For those of you wonderful readers (and you know who you are) who have been reviewing and waiting so patiently for these chapters, I hope they didn't disappoint. Thank you for staying by me until the end. Love to you all!


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